Polio struck Paul Alexander in 1952, when he was just 6 years old. Within days, the disease robbed him of the use of his body. But he fought through the illness, using an iron lung for more than 70 ...

A man who lived inside an ‘iron lung’ for seven decades after contracting polio as a child has died. Paul Alexander was paralysed from the neck down after contracting the virus in 1952. He died on ...

Six-year-old Paul Alexander was enjoying playing outside with his brother when he started to feel unwell, with a pounding headache, aching neck and rapidly developing fever. He trudged home for dinner ...

Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work covers anything from archaeology and the environment to technology and culture. Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work ...

In the mid-20th century, community spaces like swimming pools and sporting events became a source of anxiety for parents who were frightened by the rampant spread of poliovirus. Their concerns weren’t ...

Alexander contracted polio in 1952, when he was 6. He became paralyzed from the neck down and he began using an iron lung to breathe. Confined to an iron lung after contracting polio as a child, Paul ...

On March 11, a man named Paul Alexander died at the age of 78. He held the world record for number of years living inside an iron lung. Alexander contracted polio in 1952, at the age of six. His ...