PAUL Alexander, widely known as "Polio Paul", has died after spending over 70 years inside an iron lung.
Paul contracted polio in the summer of 1952 when he was six years old and was left paralysed from the neck down.
He woke up inside the metal cylinder where he would spend the rest of his life.
An update on his GoFundMe page by its organiser Christopher Ulmer reads: "Paul Alexander, 'The Man in the Iron Lung', passed away yesterday.
Paul Alexander has sadly passed away at the age of 78, having spent 70 years confined to an iron lung after contracting polio at the age of six. pic.twitter.com/cgYh2hOIUC
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) March 13, 2024
"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 travelled wide and far, positively influencing people around the world. Paul was an incredible role model that will continue to be remembered."
Ulmer said he met and interviewed Alexander in 2022.
Alexander's brother, Philip, said in a statement posted by Ulmer on the web page that he was grateful "to everybody who donated to my brother's fundraiser".
"It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free," he said.
"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."
Ulmer added: "Paul, you will be missed but always remembered. Thanks for sharing your story with us."
Polio in the UK
There have been no confirmed cases of paralysis due to polio caught in the UK since 1984.
Although some poliovirus has been found in sewage from London recently, the risk of getting it remains extremely low.
The chance of getting ill from polio is higher if you are not fully vaccinated, so it's important to make sure you, and your child, are up to date with your vaccines.
Washing your hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day also helps you avoid catching and spreading viruses.
Polio vaccination
The best way to prevent polio is to make sure you and your child are up to date with your vaccinations.
The polio vaccine is part of the NHS routine childhood vaccination schedule.
The polio vaccine is given to children at:
- 8, 12 and 16 weeks old as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine
- 3 years, 4 months old as part of the 4-in-1 (DTaP/IPV) pre-school booster
- 14 years old as part of the 3-in-1 (Td/IPV) teenage booster
You need all 5 of these vaccinations to be fully vaccinated against polio.
You can contact your GP surgery to check if you, or your child, are up to date with your polio vaccinations. For children and babies, you can also check their personal child health record (red book).
If you are not up to date, book an appointment with your GP surgery to get vaccinated free on the NHS.
Key bits to consider:
You can have a polio vaccination at any point if you've never had one before, even if you're not travelling to a country with a risk of getting polio.
You should also get vaccinated even if you've had polio before as it protects against different types of polio.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel