Family remembers Paul Alexander, a Dallas man who lived in an iron lung for 70-plus years

some bonds simply cannot be broken like the one Between Brothers you know I always knew that I was it I was I was his back stop Philip Alexander is talking about Paul who many knew as the man in the iron lung he contracted polio at 5 years old sent to a special Ward at Old Parkland being four years old in that little cage Sue Perry was there too I remember him in just curly little curly head sticking out of that iron lung polio is a disease that attacks the nervous system of young children the i

ron lung would stimulate breathing for those whose respiratory system was compromised at 7 they said well you've been here 2 years you know why don't you know why don't you take him home to die and my dad said oh yeah we'll see about that Paul would defy doctors and survive 73 more years become a lawyer write books live a full but difficult life until this week at Clemens University Hospital Paul had covid and a stomach virus I basically held that tube philli had a brother he was honored to help

one last time holding a breathing tube it was my last gift to my brother is a few breaths yeah Su Perry knows she's one of the lucky ones her left leg is weaker and she walks with a limp well hearing about Paul's passing was tough I the first thing I thought about is I'm glad I got to meet him is it it was a reunion we captured 6 years ago between patients six decades later he did so much and had such an impact on so many people's lives philli will always remember Paul's last words to him he lo

oked up at me and said we are perfect and I just went whoa that's pretty strong Paul survived through one pandemic oh we did succumb to another one yes Paul was the longest living iron lung patient in history but Phillip saw so much more I'm honored to have been his brother in DFW I'm Jan puner