Paul Alexander, the man who spent 70 years in an iron lung, shared a chilling TikTok weeks before his death.
On Tuesday (March 12), it was announced that Alexander - perhaps better known as "Polio Paul" - sadly died at the age of 78.
The late man's passing was confirmed in an update shared on the GoFundMe page set up to help with his housing and health care. It read: "Paul Alexander, 'The Man in the Iron Lung', passed away yesterday. After surviving polio as a child, he lived over 70 years inside of an iron lung.
"In this time Paul went to college, became a lawyer, and a published author. His story traveled wide and far, positively influencing people around the world. Our community raised a large amount of money for him," they added.
Alexander's brother also shared a message of his own on the donations page, sharing: "I am so [grateful] to everybody who donated to my brother’s fundraiser.
"It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free. It will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time. It is absolutely incredible to read all the comments and know that so many people were inspired by Paul. I am just so grateful," he added.
"Paul, you will be missed but always remembered. Thanks for sharing your story with us," the message concluded.
Alexander was six years old when he contracted polio during the summer of 1952. This was the height of the epidemic when more than 21,000 paralytic polio cases were recorded that year in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
His mom took him to the doctors where healthcare medics explained that there was nothing to be done for him. However, one doctor re-analyzed him and rushed him to the theater to perform "an emergency tracheotomy to suction out the congestion in his lungs," per The Guardian.
Three days later, he woke up to his body being engulfed in a machine that "wheezed and sighed," and was unable to move, speak, cough - leading him to think that he was dead.
While Paul eventually recovered from the infection, the disease left him paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe on his own. But he was able to survive thanks to the iron lung, a gigantic metal cylinder that varies air pressure.
"The doctors told us Paul could not possibly live," his mother Doris Alexander said in his autobiography, per CNN. "There were a few times when the electrical power failed and then the lung had to be pumped by hand. Our neighbors would run over and help us pump it."
Despite the odds being stacked against him, he spent the next seven decades graduating from law school to become an official lawyer in Dallas and Fort Worth.
Check out Alexander's haunting TikTok weeks before he died:
Before passing away, Alexander set up a TikTok page which goes by the handle @ironlungman. He shared videos answering questions from followers and gave updates about his life in his condition.
One particular clip posted was a response to a follower's comment, which read: "Bro still going strong I never knew that he was still here." Alexander replied: "I read several comments about being deceased... well I'm not.
"I'm still alive and I'm gonna be alive for some time," he hauntingly continued. "So get used to watching incredible videos, and they're gonna keep coming."
He then expressed gratitude to everyone who shares questions and comments on his page, saying: "They make my day... I wish I could answer each one of them. But I want to tell you, I never thought that people out there would be so responsive. It makes me feel like there's somebody who really cares about me."
As the video was shared around his birthday, Alexander reiterated that he's "going to be here for a long time," adding that he's "going to be around for the next one."
Many of his followers flooded his comment sections with condolences following news of his passing.
One user wrote: "If only he would have known," and another said: "Sobbing cus I was really hoping you’d be here for the next bday. life is so unfair but I know you lived it to your fullest & we appreciate you. RIP Paul."
A third person said: "Rest in peace Paul. What a beautiful man you are," while a fourth added: "I'm crying. He is soo inspirational. He can walk now in heaven without the machine."
Our thoughts are with Alexander's family and friends at this time.
