Iron Lung and Paul Alexander

By: Akshaya Vinaya Manikandan

In 1952, at the age of six, Paul Alexander's life took a drastic turn when he contracted polio. He was paralyzed from the neck down, and became one of the last individuals to rely on the iron lung. The iron lung was in a way "a relic" from the polio era that helped patients with sustained breathing.

The iron lung encloses the patient's body within an airtight chamber connected to a vacuum system. This creates a negative pressure inside the chamber which causes the patient's chest cavity to expand, allowing the lungs to fill with air. When the pressure is released, the chest cavity contracts, letting the air out. This rhythmic cycle of mimics natural breathing, which allows for individuals with respiratory paralysis to breathe mechanically.

Paul Alexander had to remain in the iron lung for all his life since the day he contracted the disease. He could only spend 4-6 hours outside of the chamber. As he aged, he had more difficulty breathing outside of the chamber for longer periods of time and returned to the iron lung.

Despite his physical limitations, Alexander pursued education with unwavering determination, graduating with honors from high school and earning a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he later flourished as a successful lawyer. Unfortunately, Paul Alexander passed away on March 11, 2024, but his legacy remains.