American man who lived seven decades in iron lung dies at 78

His family said he was paralyzed as a child and has lived in an iron cage ever since.

Paul Alexander, who has lived in a cage for 70 years, with his brother Philip. Photo: Facebook/Philip Alexander

“It has been an honor to be a part of the life of someone as admired as my brother,” Philip Alexander wrote in a post on Tuesday. “He touched and inspired millions of people and that is no exaggeration.”

Alexander was just six years old when he was placed in a full-body metal tube known as an 'iron lung' in 1952 after contracting polio, a deadly disease that paralyzed tens of thousands of children each year. He was unable to breathe on his own and the 'iron lung' used pressure to blow air into his lungs to help him breathe.

Alexander graduated from law school, passed the bar exam and practiced law. His brother said he also traveled to every continent.

Alexander contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized in February. The illness left him weak and dehydrated. Alexander has more than 300,000 followers on the social media platform TikTok.

Mai Anh (according to CNA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nguoi-dan-ong-my-song-7-thap-ky-trong-la-phoi-sat-qua-doi-post287859.html