Paul Alexander, the man who lived in an “iron lung” for nearly 70 years, has died.

American Paul Alexander, who spent more than seventy years of his life in a machine, often called the “iron lung”, without which he could not breathe, has died at the age of 78. It was his brother who disclosed the information, Wednesday March 13, 2024, reports 20 minutes . The man contracted polio as a child, a disease that left him paralyzed from the neck down for life.

“Positive Influence”

Although the septuagenarian’s cause of death is not officially known, he recently announced that he had Covid-19 on his TikTok account where he published videos of his exchanges with Internet users. Despite his circumstances, the “man with the iron lung” earned a law degree and published a book. “His story has traveled far and positively influenced people around the world,” Commented Christopher Ulmer at the origin of the fundraising campaign aimed at helping Americans pay their health care costs.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), poliomyelitis still exists in some countries but vaccination has made it possible to eradicate it in most of the world. While it was rampant at the time, iron lungs allowed patients to breathe thanks to a system of pumps.

A world record

If he had learned to breathe longer outside the machine, Paul Alexander, sometimes nicknamed “Polio Paul”, would be the man who has spent the longest time in the world in an iron lung. For this, his name was included in the Guinness Book of World Records. “Paul touched and was a source of inspiration to millions”his brother wrote on his Facebook page.