Paul Alexander, an American who contracted polio as a child and who had lived with a “metal lung” since 1954, died at the age of 78.
Illustrative photo /Shutterstock
The BBC reported Paul Alexander’s death, citing a website raising money for the man.
“Paul Alexander, ‘the man with an iron lung’, died yesterday,” the website reported.
Paul’s brother, Philip, was reported to have remembered him as a “kind, warm person” with a “big smile”.
“He was an ordinary brother to me. We fought, had fun, loved, partied, attended concerts,” recalled Philip Alexander, quoted by the BBC.
The brother of the “man with the iron lung” reported that Alexander’s health had deteriorated in recent weeks. “It was an honor to be with him in his last moments,” he added.
Paul Alexander was born on January 30, 1946 in Dallas, United States.
At the age of several years he contracted polio, which caused serious lung damage. From 1954, he lived with a metal lung – a large device that was an early version of a respirator.
Despite the difficulties, he completed his studies and became a lawyer.