{"id":35767,"date":"2024-12-02T10:39:07","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T10:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/?p=35767"},"modified":"2025-02-22T23:39:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T23:39:40","slug":"one-of-the-last-persons-with-an-iron-lung-is-a-76-year-old-guy-who-was-paralyzed-by-polio-at-age-6-and-still-says-my-life-is-amazing-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/?p=35767","title":{"rendered":"One of the last persons with an iron lung is a 76-year-old>>>>>>>>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-52.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-52.png 600w, https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-52-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Paul Alexander, now 76, is one of the last people in the world to use an iron lung. Paralyzed by polio at age six, he has spent decades relying on the 1928-era respirator to breathe. Despite his challenges, Paul\u2019s life is nothing short of extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paul didn\u2019t let polio define him. He became a lawyer, author, and advocate, proving that resilience can triumph over adversity. His story inspires countless others to overcome challenges and live fully, no matter the circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-3.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-3.webp 640w, https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-3-300x225.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am not going to accept anyone\u2019s limitations on my life. My life is incredible,\u201d Paul says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"525\" src=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-7.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1767\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-7.webp 640w, https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-7-300x246.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Before polio vaccines were available, the virus incapacitated more than 15,000 individuals annually. Even asymptomatic individuals could spread<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Polio\">&nbsp;polio<\/a>, which presented symptoms like fatigue, fever, stiffness, muscle pain, and vomiting. In rare cases, polio resulted in paralysis and death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"493\" src=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/5-6.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/5-6.webp 640w, https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/5-6-300x231.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1952, Paul fell ill in Dallas, Texas. Within days, he lost the ability to breathe or move. A tracheotomy and an iron lung saved his life, but the journey was terrifying. Rows of children in iron lungs surrounded him as he struggled to adapt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-9.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-9.webp 640w, https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-9-200x300.webp 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Doctors doubted his survival, but Paul\u2019s determination proved them wrong. After 18 months in the hospital, he emerged ready to embrace life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"786\" src=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/6-5.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1770\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/6-5.webp 640w, https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/6-5-244x300.webp 244w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While some might have lost the will to live, Paul was only strengthened by the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hearing doctors say, \u201cHe\u2019s going to die today\u201d or \u201cHe shouldn\u2019t be alive,\u201d only made him more determined to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And survive he did!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/first-public-statement-from-prince-william-on-his-wife-and-father-king-charles\/\">ALSO READ<\/a>&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paul Alexander, now 76, is one of the last people in the world to use an iron lung. Paralyzed by polio at age six, he has spent&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35767"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35767"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48473,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35767\/revisions\/48473"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}