‘The Man in the Iron Lung’ dies at 78 in Dallas

Paul Alexander, "The Man in the Iron Lung" and Dallas resident, died Monday after being hospitalized for Covid last month. He was 78 years old.

Alexander lived inside an iron lung for more than 70 years after he survived polio as a child.

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There is no official cause of death at this time and his GoFundMe has been disabled.

“I am so gratitude [sic] to everybody who donated to my brother’s fundraiser. It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free," Philip Alexander said on GoFundMe. "It will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time."

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Despite his condition, Alexander graduated from law school, opened his law firm, and became a published author with the book "Three Minutes for a Dog," detailing his life.

Recently, Alexander started a TikTok account referring to him as "Polio Paul," where he talked about his accomplishments and answered questions about life in an iron lung. The account had more than 330,000 followers at the time of his death.

"His story traveled wide and far, positively influencing people around the world. Paul was an incredible role model that will continue to be remembered," Ulmer said.