The man who lived in an iron lung for 70 years has sadly passed away at the age of 78.
Paul Alexander, perhaps better known as "Polio Paul", was left paralyzed after contracting polio in 1952 when he was just six years old.
He had been living inside the machine that aids his breathing since he was a young child.
As per The Guardian, Paul was playing outside his home in Dallas, Texas, when his head started pounding.
Upon a quick inspection, his mother sent him straight to bed to rest but it wasn't long before his condition worsened until he got to the point where he could hardly move, swallow or cough.
His mom took him to the doctors where healthcare professionals concluded that they could not save the little boy, but after one doctor re-analyzed him and rushed him to the theater to perform "an emergency tracheotomy to suction out the congestion in his lungs" he was given a slim chance of living - though he could not breathe on his own anymore.
While Paul eventually recovered from the polio infection, his body remained paralyzed from the neck down and after 18 months, he was allowed to go home.
His GoFundMe page was updated on Tuesday, revealing he had passed away on Monday.
It reads: "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.
Speaking during a documentary about his condition, he said: "People didn't like me very much back then, I felt like they were uncomfortable around me."
When asked what he did all day being confined to the machine, AKA his "old iron horse", he responded: "Well, the same thing everybody else does. I woke up, brushed my teeth, washed my face, shaved, and had some breakfast.
"I just needed a little bit of help," he added.
"I would read, or study something, paint a picture, or do some drawing. I hated just watching TV."
Paul had a tough time getting accepted into college, but with his dreams of becoming a lawyer hanging in the balance, he managed to persuade the establishment to let him in. They stated that he could study if only he gets the polio vaccination and remains under the watchful eye of a fraternity, to which he accepted.
Amazingly, he went on to pass all of his Bar exams and became a qualified lawyer.
Not only that, but he also went on to write a book with his mouth, in the hopes that it would provide people with inspiration to persevere through hardships.
Speaking of his motivation to write, he said: "No matter where you're from or what your past is, or the challenges that you could be facing, you can truly do anything. You've just got to set your mind to it and work hard."
"My story is an example of why your past or even disability does not have to define your future," he added.
According to the World Health Organization, "wild poliovirus cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases in more than 125 endemic countries to six reported cases in 2021. Of the three strains of wild poliovirus (type 1, type 2 and type 3), wild poliovirus type 2 was eradicated in 1999 and wild poliovirus type 3 was eradicated in 2020" though the disease still remains a threat to those who have not been vaccinated.
