Man who’s lived in an iron lung for more than 70 years after being struck down by polio shared video of what happens when it starts to break

A man who has lived in an iron lung for over 70 years has posted a video showing what happens when it starts to break.

Paul Alexander, 77, of Dallas, Texas, has had his body enveloped in a lung of iron since he was struck down with polio at age six in 1952.

The reservoir ventilator was considered a medical miracle at the time because it allowed people with polio to breathe.

The ventilator, which looks like a terrifying metal coffin, forces patients to lie inside, with the device strapped firmly around their necks.

It works by creating a vacuum to mechanically draw oxygen into the lungs of patients whose central nervous system and respiratory function have been destroyed by polio.

Mr Alexander faced a crisis in 2015 when the machine began to malfunction and manufacturers halted production of the iron lung in the 1960s.

A YouTube video made by Gizmodo revealed what happens to the machine when it starts to break down.

Mr Alexander faced a crisis in 2015 when the machine began to malfunction, and as manufacturers halted production of the steel lung in the 1960s, getting a new ventilator was probably out of the question.

Fortunately, Brady Richards, who runs the environmental testing lab and is an avid hobby mechanic, saw the call and reached out to Paul for help.

Mr Richards was able to refurbish the machine in a garage, after the one Paul originally lived in fell into a worrying state.

The video shows Brady’s concerns over a machine which he said was extremely “worn out” and “really leaking a lot”, meaning it was unable to “generate enough pressure”.

Although he faced serious difficulties building a refurbished machine due to lack of parts, a refurbished machine was successfully built for Paul, who said his “life would be ruined” without Brady’s help.

Inspiringly, the polio survivor didn’t let his iron lung stop him from living his life.

Paul pursued his dream of becoming a litigator and represented his clients in court in a three-piece suit and a modified wheelchair that held his paralyzed body upright.

The Iron Lung was considered a medical miracle when it was first made, but modern ventilators have since replaced this big contraption.

During his life, he flew, lived alone, fell in love, prayed in church, visited the ocean, and even ended up in a strip club.

Paul even published his own memoir, titled “Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung.”

The 155-page memoir was carefully crafted and spanned five years; Paul wrote every word with a pen attached to a stick in his mouth.