DALLAS — The family of Paul Alexander, the longest living iron lung patient in history, is hoping the machine that helped Paul can be salvaged for another purpose. Alexander, 78, died last week after complications from COVID-19 and a stomach virus according to family.
Phillip Alexander has no use for the two iron lungs that helped his brother for more than seven decades. Phillip says one iron lung was sold to a group that rents out vintage medical equipment for movies. The next one, he hopes, will go to a museum as a reminder of the effect polio had on the community.
"We kept him going. He kept us going. It was a group effort," said Phillip Alexander.
Paul Alexander, according to family and Guinness World Records, was the longest living iron lung patient in history. In 1953 polio destroyed his respiratory function when he was 5 years old. He defied odds and doctors and lived 73 years longer with the help of an iron lung.
The iron lung is a type of negative pressure ventilator that creates a vacuum and helps stimulate breathing when respiratory functions have failed.
"There were lots of them and they were all yellow," said Sue Perry, a Richardson resident who was also in the same Parkland ward for polio patients in 1953.
Brady Richard, of Dallas, has an iron lung in his warehouse too. It is one of many rare finds in his warehouse.
"I like the old stuff...I really do like the old stuff," Richard said, laughing.
Richard helped fix Paul Alexander's iron lung seven years ago when it broke down. Richard, who loves to fix things, figured out the mechanics of the iron lung and took the old parts from his iron lung to restore Paul's.
"He was always glad to see you, always a happy person," said Richard.
Richard will store Paul's current iron lung for safe-keeping with the hopes that it can benefit the community in a different way.
"Hopefully we can find a museum that will put it in display," he said. "These should not go away. There are things that need to be reminders."
Visitation and funeral services for Paul Alexander will take place Tuesday and Wednesday.