![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/how-polio-paul-has-defied-the-odds-to-survive-living-inside-an-iron-lung-for-70-years/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1_NYPICHPDPICT000028812682.jpg&description=Paul Alexander has spent over 70 defiant years in an iron lung after contracting polio in 1952, achieving remarkable feats despite complete paralysis and confinement "Polio Paul" has defied the odds to survive living inside an iron lung for 70 years - but how has he managed it? Paul Alexander, a man who has been dubbed "Polio Paul," has defied the odds by spending seven decades inside a 600-pound iron lung, steadfastly rejecting modern alternatives. At 77 years old, Guinness World Records recognised him in March as the longest-running iron lung patient in history. Paul's relentless battle began in 1952 when he contracted polio at the age of six during one of the worst outbreaks in the history of the United States, which saw nearly 58,000 cases, primarily affecting children. Polio attacks motor neurons in the spinal cord, crippling the body's ability to breathe without assistance. Thankfully, a life-saving vaccine was introduced in 1955, leading to the eventual eradication of polio from the U.S. in 1979. But for Paul, from Texas, it was already too late; he remains paralyzed from the neck down. For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US Following his diagnosis, Paul underwent an emergency tracheotomy and was placed in an iron lung, a machine that hasn't been manufactured since the late '60s due to technological advancements. The iron lung, an airtight capsule, covers everything except the head, using negative pressure to draw in oxygen and expand the lungs, allowing the patient to breathe. Despite more modern options becoming available, Paul has steadfastly clung to his iron lung, citing his familiarity with the contraption and his reluctance to undergo the procedure required for newer devices. In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, Paul explained his attachment to his "old iron horse" and his refusal to get another throat hole required for contemporary machines. He has even learned a technique called "frog breathing," wh){kind=link}
Paul Alexander has spent over 70 defiant years in an iron lung after contracting polio in 1952, achieving remarkable feats despite complete paralysis and confinement
“Polio Paul” has defied the odds to survive living inside an iron lung for 70 years – but how has he managed it?
Paul Alexander, a man who has been dubbed “Polio Paul,” has defied the odds by spending seven decades inside a 600-pound iron lung, steadfastly rejecting modern alternatives.
At 77 years old, Guinness World Records recognised him in March as the longest-running iron lung patient in history.
Paul’s relentless battle began in 1952 when he contracted polio at the age of six during one of the worst outbreaks in the history of the United States, which saw nearly 58,000 cases, primarily affecting children.