Paul Alexander, 77, of Dallas, Texas still relies on an iron lung to help him breathe. But he hasn't let his condition stop him and Paul was even in love at one point. He recounted the tragic story decades later which took him 'years to heal from'
Paul Alexander was just six years old when he was struck down by polio, which left him paralyzed from the neck down.
He was rushed to Parkland hospital in Dallas and had an emergency tracheotomy but was left encased in an iron lung machine where he has spent the majority of his life.
Paul hasn't let the iron lung slow him down and over his lifetime, he has been on planes, lived alone, fallen in love, prayed in church, visited the ocean and even found himself in a strip club.
Paul, of Dallas, Texas even studied at two universities, including the University of Texas, Austin, and pursued his dreams of becoming a trial lawyer.
During his time studying at university, Paul met a woman called Claire, who he ended up becoming engaged to. However, Paul's mother opposed the relationship and even forbade her daughter from marrying him.
Paul heartbreakingly found out after he called Claire to find her mother on the other end of the line, banning her daughter from ever speaking to him again.
The polio-survivor, now 77, told The Guardian that he 'Took years to heal from that.'
Since his relationship with Claire ended, Paul may have not found marriage, but found Kathy Gaines, who has been his caregiver since he graduated law school.
Paul's brother Phil described their relationship like a 'marriage', saying she is his 'arms and legs'.
'Paul has always been aggressive about things that he wants and needs around other people,' Phil said.
'He's pretty demanding. But Kathy is more demanding than he is. They've had their moments, but they always work it out.'
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE IRON LUNG
An iron lung is a non-invasive negative-pressure ventilator, used to artificially maintain respiration during an acute polio infection.
They were first used in the 1920s and work by producing pressure on the lungs that causes them to expand and contract so that patients can breathe.
In most cases it would only be used for one or two weeks, until the patient could breathe independently, but some polio survivors with permanent respiratory paralysis rely on them daily.
They are now all but obsolete, replaced by positive-pressure ventilators such as modern-day respirators.
While Gaines is registered blind as a result of her type-1 diabetes she has cared for Paul for over 30 years.
She continues to be by her side wherever he goes, making sure she sees him every day.
In 2019, Paul's health declined, and he endured a five-month stay in Clements Hospital in north Dallas and Kathy made sure she visited him every day.
Paul may not have ended up marrying Claire, but his attitude remains positive regardless of what life throws at him.
At 77 years old, he is one of the last people in the world to still use an iron lung, and he relies on it almost-exclusively to breathe.
In an interview with filmmaker Mitch Summers in 2020, Paul said that he never gave up on himself, despite his circumstances.
He said: 'No matter where you're from or what your past is, or the challenges you could be facing. You can truly do anything. You just have to set your mind to it, and work hard.'
Paul has even published his own memoir, titled 'Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung'.
The 155-page memoir was carefully crafted and took five years to complete; Paul wrote each word with a pen attached to a stick in his mouth.
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