If you’ve spent any time on TikTok recently, you probably saw a man with an incredible spirit named Paul Alexander. He was known to millions as "Polio Paul." He’d look into the camera from inside a massive, yellow metal cylinder—a relic of a bygone medical era—and answer questions about life, law, and how he kept going. People are constantly searching to see is Paul Alexander still alive in 2024, and honestly, the answer is a bit of a heavy one for his millions of fans.
Paul Alexander passed away on March 11, 2024. He was 78 years old.
It’s a miracle he lived that long. Seriously. When he was six, he got hit by the polio epidemic in Dallas, Texas. That was back in 1952. Within days of getting sick, he couldn't move, couldn't swallow, and couldn't breathe. The doctors at Parkland Hospital performed an emergency tracheotomy and shoved him into an iron lung. They basically told his parents to prepare for the worst. He stayed in that machine for over 70 years.
The Viral Star of the Iron Lung
Most people found Paul through his "Polio Paul" TikTok account. He started it late in life, but he hit a nerve. He had hundreds of thousands of followers who were fascinated by the 600-pound "yellow submarine" that kept him alive.
Paul wasn't just a guy in a machine, though. He was a lawyer. Think about that for a second. He went to the University of Texas at Austin, graduated, passed the bar, and actually represented clients in court. He had a special wheelchair that kept his body upright, and he’d use a technique he called "frog breathing" (glossopharyngeal breathing) to survive outside the lung for a few hours at a time. He basically forced air into his lungs using his throat muscles. It was exhausting, but it gave him a life.
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What Happened in Early 2024?
The news of his death hit the internet hard in March. His brother, Philip Alexander, confirmed the news on Facebook. A GoFundMe page that had been set up to help with his medical costs also posted the update.
So, what actually caused it?
In late February 2024, Paul's social media manager posted a video saying Paul had been rushed to the emergency room. He had tested positive for COVID-19. For someone whose lungs were already non-functional, a respiratory virus is basically the ultimate nightmare. He did manage to come home from the hospital, but he was incredibly weak. He passed away just a few weeks later.
Why He Refused Modern Ventilators
A lot of people asked him why he didn't just switch to a modern ventilator. You know, the small ones that use a tube in the throat? Paul didn't want it. He was used to his iron lung. He called it his "old friend."
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He was actually one of the last few people in the world still using one. These machines work by "negative pressure." They create a vacuum to suck air into the lungs and then release it to let the air out. Most modern tech uses "positive pressure," blowing air directly into the airway. Paul stuck with what he knew. When the machine broke down a few years back, he even had to find a specialized mechanic via YouTube because nobody knew how to fix 1950s tech anymore.
Paul Alexander’s Legacy at a Glance:
- Duration: Lived in an iron lung for 72 years.
- Achievements: Earned a Juris Doctor (JD), wrote a memoir titled Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung.
- Method: Wrote his entire book using a pen attached to a stick held in his mouth.
- World Record: Recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest-surviving iron lung patient.
A Life of Defiance
Paul's life wasn't just about survival. It was a giant "watch me" to everyone who doubted him. He didn't just graduate from high school; he was the first person to do it in Dallas without ever physically being in the classroom. He fought for disability rights. He traveled. He fell in love and got engaged.
He often said that his past and his disability didn't define his future. It’s a bit cliché when most people say it, but when a guy who hasn't breathed on his own since the Truman administration says it, you listen.
His death marks the end of an era. There are maybe one or two people left in the entire world using an iron lung now. Martha Lillard is one of the names often mentioned.
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Moving Forward and Staying Safe
While Paul Alexander is no longer with us in 2024, his story is a massive reminder of two things: the power of the human spirit and the reality of what life was like before vaccines changed everything. Polio used to paralyze thousands of kids every single year. Paul was a living bridge to that history.
If you’re looking to honor his memory or learn more about the reality of his condition, there are a few things you can do:
Read his book. Three Minutes for a Dog is available on Amazon. It's a raw look at what it was like to grow up in a metal tube while the world moved on outside.
Watch his old TikToks. His account is still up, and the videos of him explaining how he eats, sleeps, and "frog breathes" are educational and weirdly comforting because of his upbeat attitude.
Support disability advocacy. Organizations like Rotary International have been working for decades to fully eradicate polio globally. Even though it's rare now, Paul’s life shows why that work actually matters.
His story is finished, but he definitely didn't go out quietly. He spent his final months making sure the world knew exactly who he was and what he had overcome.