'Man in the Iron Lung's' family release statement following his death aged 78

Paul Alexander, known around the world as the “man in the iron lung”, has died at the age of 78.

His family shared a message in an update on his GoFundMe page, celebrating the life of the man who had been in an iron lung since the age of six.

Alexander was paralysed in 1952 and was only able to move his neck and head.

In the seven decades since he was first placed in the machine, he has become a lawyer and a published author. His story was shared in a statement shared by Christopher Ulmer, the organiser of the crowdfunding campaign.

The statement, which also contained a message from Alexander’s brother, 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.

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"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. Paul was an incredible role model that will continue to be remembered.”

It continued: “I met and interviewed Paul in 2022. Our community raised a large amount of money for him. I just got off the phone with Philip, Pauls’ brother, who wants to communicate the following message. ‘I am so gratitude 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.’”

The statement concluded: “Paul, you will be missed but always remembered. Thanks for sharing your story with us.”

To date, the GoFundMe for Paul has raised more than $140,000 to help improve his life during his last few years.

In addition to his fame for living in his Iron Lung, Alexander had also become a star on TikTok where he had more than 330,000 followers.

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