Iron lung man Paul Alexander dead at 78: Lawyer who was paralysed after suffering Polio as a six year old and lived in an iron lung for 70 years dies

Paul Alexander, the man who lived in an iron lung for 70 years, has died aged 78.

A fundraiser for his health care confirmed that Alexander, of Dallas, Texas, died Monday, without providing further details.

Alexander was just six years old when he contracted polio in 1952, which left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Unable to breathe on his own, he spent a lifetime inside an iron lung, which he relied on to breathe for more than seven decades.

Christopher Ulmer, organizer and disability activist, said: ‘Paul Alexander, “The Man in the Iron Lung”, died yesterday.

‘After surviving polio as a child, he lived for over 70 years inside an iron lung. During this time, Paul attended college, became a lawyer and a published author.

‘His story traveled far and wide and positively impacted people around the world.

‘Paul was an incredible role model who will continue to be remembered.’