Paul Alexander, a Dallas man who’s lived in an iron lung since contracting polio on the age of six, has died at 78, in keeping with a GoFundMe web page arrange by a pal. An official reason behind dying was not introduced, however Alexander’s TikTok web page famous in late February that he’d been hospitalized with Covid-19.
“Paul Alexander, ‘The Man within the Iron Lung’, handed away yesterday,” Alexander’s GoFundMe wrote on Tuesday. “After surviving polio as a toddler, he lived over 70 years within an iron lung. On this time Paul went to school, grew to become a lawyer, and a broadcast creator. His story traveled huge and much, positively influencing individuals around the globe. Paul was an unbelievable function mannequin that can proceed to be remembered.”
Gizmodo profiled Alexander in 2017, wanting on the difficulties he confronted spending so many many years in an iron lung whereas additionally exploring the myriad methods he was capable of accomplish his targets, like graduating from legislation college on the College of Texas-Austin and writing his ebook Three Minutes For a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung.
“As soon as you reside in an iron lung eternally, it looks like, it turns into such a a part of your mentality. Like if someone touches the iron lung—touches it—I can really feel that. I can really feel the vibration undergo the iron lung,” Alexander instructed Gizmodo on the time.
A pal of Alexander arrange a GoFundMe web page in 2022 after he’d been “taken benefit of by individuals who have been alleged to take care of his greatest pursuits.” Alexander’s excessive well being care prices, mixed with the misplaced cash, compelled him to maneuver right into a one-bedroom condominium with out a window, in keeping with the GoFundMe. The crowdfunding web page raised over $140,000 whereas he was nonetheless alive, however has been shut down within the wake of his dying. The remaining cash will assist pay for funeral prices, in keeping with his brother.
“I’ve bought to let you know that it most likely modified my entire life,” Alexander stated of the GoFundMe donations in a video from November 2022. “You guys are unbelievable as a result of the stuff you stated to me touched my coronary heart tremendously. I need you to know I admire what you’ve carried out, however I like you much more.”
Alexander had a TikTok web page with the deal with @ironlungman the place he would give updates on what was occurring in his world to over 300,000 followers. Alexander would area questions from TikTok customers on a variety of subjects, together with how he became a lawyer.
There have been scammers who apparently have been tried to impersonate Alexander, in keeping with a TikTok video he posted in early February, however via all of it, he was an everlasting optimist usually speaking about his religion in God and the great individuals who helped him via on-line donations.
“I need to let you know that God has acknowledged the issues… we care, all of my life and although I’ve had some instances the place I battle to outlive, even my life threatened, God has all the time been there and that’s important as a result of with out that I wouldn’t be right here,” Alexander said in 2022.
“Now God’s blessed me with some very caring, very loving and really competent individuals. I’m most grateful for what he’s carried out and I’m gonna do my greatest to maneuver on and transfer to my subsequent problem in life and see what I can do. However thanks in your feedback. And thanks for being there.”
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