For many people, the iron lung belongs to history books, a symbol of the years when polio swept through communities before vaccines transformed public health. Rows of large metal cylinders once filled hospital wards, keeping patients alive when damaged muscles could no longer draw breath. Most disappeared decades ago as medical care changed. Paul Alexander's life followed a different path. He relied on one of those machines from childhood until his death in 2024, making him the longest-known survivor to spend his life using an iron lung. His story was never only about medical survival. It became a record of persistence, adaptation and the ordinary routines he insisted on protecting despite extraordinary circumstances.
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