A 78-year-old Texan man, Paul Alexander – who passed away recently on Monday – has become a topic of discussion worldwide. Paul's death has drawn attention to the extraordinary life he lived for 70 long years – in an iron cube! Though he survived, Paul was paralyzed in his childhood after he contracted polio.
Paul's brother Philip has reportedly announced his death on Facebook. He gave no cause of death. “It was an honor to be part of someone's life who was as admired as he was. He touched and inspired millions of people and that is no exaggeration,” Philip Alexander wrote in a post on Tuesday.
Paul Alexander's Extraordinary Life
According to a Reuters report, Paul was six years old when he was placed in a full-body metal cylinder known as an iron lung in 1952 after contracting polio, a deadly disease that once paralyzed tens of thousands of children every year. An iron lung uses pressure to blow air into the lungs.
However, his debilitating health condition did not stop Paul Alexander from achieving great milestones. He graduated law school, passed the bar and practiced law. He also traveled to every continent, his brother said. Writing about Paul's persona, his brother wrote, “He commanded a room. What a flirt! He loved good food, wine, women, long conversations, learning, and laughing.”
Paul contracted Covid-19 and was hospitalized in February. His illness left him weak and dehydrated, according to a spokesperson on TikTok, where Alexander had more than 300,000 followers.
(With Reuters inputs)