Paul Alexander died on Monday (11) after living in an “iron lung” for more than 70 years in the United States. The brand was even registered in Guinness World Records.
The information was confirmed by North American educator Christopher Ulmer, who interviews people with disabilities on his YouTube channel.
“You will be missed but always remembered. Thank you for sharing your story with us,” Chris wrote in the caption of a post on his NGO’s Instagram profile.
“Paul went to college, became a lawyer and a published author. His story has traveled far, positively influencing people around the world. Paul was an incredible role model who will continue to be remembered.”
Christopher organized a fundraiser that raised around US$145,000 (approximately R$725,000) for Paul, who, as the text published on the GoFundMe platform says, suffered a blow from people who should have taken care of him.
The money was used to pay for his treatment and help Paul survive. In his text, Christopher added a message from Philip, Paul's brother, thanking him for the donations.
“They allowed him to live his last years without stress. They will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time. It's absolutely incredible to read all the comments and know that so many people were inspired by Paul,” the text reads.
Why did he use an “iron lung”?
Paul Alexander joined Guinness in 2022 for being the person who used a negative pressure ventilator, known as an “iron lung” for the longest time. He was placed inside the device in 1952, after suffering paralysis in the organ caused by polio.
That year, the city of Dallas, where Paul lived, was hit by a major epidemic of the disease, as recorded by Guinness.
“Despite the efforts of public health authorities – which included the closure of bars, cinemas and any other public place where the virus could spread – thousands of cases were registered in the city, resulting in dozens of deaths”, says the book portal of records.
Paul Alexander was just 6 years old at the time and saw other patients with the same clinical condition die alongside him in the hospital.
He left the hospital and, according to Guinness, learned to use his throat muscles to force air into his lungs, which were paralyzed. This improved his quality of life and allowed Paul to spend prolonged periods outside the “iron lung” and pursue a law degree at the University of Texas.
How does an “iron lung” work?
Negative pressure fans are a type of closed chamber equipped with a pump that can change the air pressure. The head and neck are left outside the machine, which, with pressure variations, causes the lungs to contract and expand and causes muscles to become paralyzed.
Source: CNN Brasil
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