Is Paul Richard Alexander still alive? Yes, Dallas attorney and paralytic polio survivor Paul Richard Alexander is still alive and housed in an iron lung.
Who is Paul Richard Alexander?
Paul Richard Alexander is an American attorney from Dallas and a paralytic polio survivor. He is known as one of the few remaining individuals still relying on an iron lung, having contracted polio in 1952 when he was just six years old. Alexander’s life took an unexpected turn when he contracted polio, leaving him permanently paralyzed. His ability to move is limited to his head, neck and mouth, while the rest of his body remains motionless.
Despite the challenges he faces, Alexander perseveres, living an incredible life with incredible strength. His story serves as a poignant reminder of the lasting impact of diseases like polio and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Is Paul Richard Alexander still alive?
Paul Richard Alexander is still alive At the age of six, Paul Richard Alexander’s life took an unexpected turn when he was struck by the poliovirus, a disease that left him disabled. Born Jan. 10, 1946, in Dallas, he contracted the disease before the American form of the polio vaccine was developed. As a result, Paul was left almost completely paralyzed, requiring the use of an “iron lung” machine for his respiratory needs.
It is interesting that in the past 70 years he spent only a few fleeting moments outside this life support machine. Despite the challenges he faced, Paul’s indomitable spirit drove him to achieve extraordinary feats. Undeterred by his physical limitations, he embarked on an unusual journey. With unwavering determination, he continued his education and became a bright example of resilience and perseverance.
Paul graduated from high school and went on to attend college, defying societal expectations and transcending perceived limitations. His unwavering drive and intellect led him to a career in law. Paul Richard Alexander not only became a lawyer but also appeared in court hearings, advocating for justice and lending his legal expertise in the pursuit of truth. In addition to his legal achievements, he has also ventured into the field of writing, sharing his experiences and insights through his authored works.
Paul’s life serves as an inspiration and a beacon of hope for people with disabilities who strive to succeed despite the obstacles they face. His journey is a testament to the power of determination and the ability of the human spirit to overcome adversity. Through his achievements, Paul Richard Alexander has shown that a disability does not have to define one’s potential or limit one’s dreams.
Where is Paul Alexander now?
Paul was an attorney in Dallas and Fort Worth. In a quiet suburb of Dallas, on a fateful day in July, a boy named Paul Alexander was absorbed in the joyous abandon of playing outside in the refreshing summer rain. Unbeknownst to him, the shadow of the disease appeared, manifesting itself as a throbbing neck and a severe headache. Ignoring the discomfort, he nonchalantly left his muddy shoes behind and entered the cozy confines of the family kitchen barefoot.
The screen door, heavy with anticipation, closed with a resounding crash. His feverish face caught his mother’s attention, eliciting an audible sigh of concern. She urgently instructed him to retrieve his abandoned footwear before making him retreat to the comfort of his bed. The first day was spent in the arms of his parents’ bed, a refuge where Paul sought solace among the frames of Roy Rogers coloring books.
Yet even as his fever rose to alarming heights and a symphony of pain rang through his young limbs, the family physician advised against seeking medical care at the hospital. Polio had cast its insidious spell on him, but overcrowded wards would only diminish his chances of recovery, the doctor concluded. The home, it was believed, offered a more conducive environment for his healing journey.
In those uncertain moments, Paul Alexander’s resilience began to take shape. From the cocoon of his home, he went into battle against a formidable opponent, armed with unwavering determination and the love and support of his family. Within the familiar walls he will face the challenges of polio, whose unwelcome intrusion has left an indelible mark on his life.
Young Paul had no idea that this harrowing experience would shape his character and ignite a steadfast spirit within him. The echoes of that fateful day will reverberate throughout his journey, instilling in him an unwavering determination to overcome adversity and forge his own path. Although Paul’s battle with polio would forever change his physical abilities, it would not diminish his thirst for knowledge, his hunger for achievement, or his unwavering will to persevere.
It would become the catalyst for an extraordinary journey, one where he would triumph against the odds and emerge as a beacon of inspiration to others facing their own troubles. The story of Paul Alexander serves as a testament to the strength of the human spirit, a lasting reminder that resilience knows no bounds. From the confines of his childhood home to the boundless expanse of opportunity, Paul’s story exemplifies the strength and courage that can be summoned in adversity.
Why is Paul Alexander still in Iron Lung?
Paul Alexander contracted polio, which is why he is still in the Iron Lung Hospital. In fact, Paul Alexander is one of the few patients still in the iron lung. Find out how he actually contracted polio here.
In a quiet suburb of Dallas, one day in July, a six-year-old boy named Paul Alexander was frolicking in the refreshing embrace of a summer rain. However, beneath the surface of his playfulness, an unprecedented illness took hold. His neck throbbed with discomfort and his head throbbed with unrelenting pain.
When his feverish face caught his mother’s worried gaze, a sigh of concern escaped her lips. She urgently insisted on retrieving her abandoned shoes before giving the order to retire to bed. And so Paul spent the first day nestled in the comforting embrace of his parents’ bed. However, as his fever continued to rise and waves of agony coursed through his fragile limbs, the family doctor advised against hospitalization.
Although it was obvious that polio had taken its toll on his young body, the doctor concluded that the sheer number of patients in the hospitals gave Paul a better chance of recovery at home. In the following days, Paul’s condition further worsened. Five days after he walked into the kitchen barefoot, he couldn’t hold a crayon, articulate words, swallow or even cough. Filled with urgency, his parents took him to Parkland Hospital.
Yet even within its walls, where well-trained staff and a dedicated polio ward stood ready, the hospital was overwhelmed with a flood of patients. Sick children filled every corner, surpassing the capacity to provide treatment to everyone. Paul waited in his mother’s arms, his breathing becoming more labored. Then a glimmer of hope appeared. Another doctor, driven by an instinct for action, decided to re-examine the sick boy.
He quickly picked Paul up and rushed him to the operating room. There, an emergency tracheotomy was performed, clearing his lungs of the blockage that his paralyzed body could no longer expel. Three days later, Paul woke up in a reality completely different from the one he knew. His body lay tucked inside the device wheezing and sighing. Immobilized, he could neither move nor speak.
The foggy windows of the steam tent, the vinyl hood wrapping around his head, obscured his surroundings. However, when the veil was lifted, a shocking scene unfolded before his eyes. The heads of other children, encased in metal canisters, dotted the landscape. Nurses, dressed in clean white uniforms and caps, floated gracefully among them. “Rows and rows of iron lungs. Full of children,” he recounted years later.
In 1954, when Paul was eight years old, a physical therapist from the March of Dimes, an American charity dedicated to eradicating polio, approached his mother. Although Paul had a deep-seated fear of doctors and nurses after his experiences in the polio ward, his mother reassured him. And so Mrs. Sullivan, the therapist, started coming twice a week.
During their sessions, Paul shared the agony of trying to breathe without the aid of an iron lung, causing him to turn blue and lose consciousness. However, he also discovered a technique he discovered—one he called “frog breathing.” Catching air in his mouth and throat, he could use a certain movement of his tongue and throat muscles to direct the air past his vocal cords into his lungs, similar to saying “ahh” for a doctor.
Sullivan made a deal with her determined patient: if he could breathe like a frog without assistance for three minutes, she would reward him with a puppy. It took Paul a year of hard work, but he finally achieved his goal and got his beloved companion, Ginger. With continued practice, his mastery of the technique improved, giving him the ability to temporarily leave the iron lung for brief moments—first on the porch, then out into the yard.
Although Paul still relied on an iron lung for nightly respite, unable to breathe on his own while sleeping, his ambitions extended far beyond the boundaries of his immediate surroundings. At the age of 21, he became the first person to graduate from high school in Dallas without physically attending a single class. His persistence led him to enroll at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, overcoming numerous rejections from the university administration.
He then graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a law degree. For decades, Paul thrived as a lawyer in Dallas and Fort Worth, wearing a three-piece suit and using a modified wheelchair to maintain an upright posture despite his paralysis. At a time when the presence of people with disabilities in public spaces was far less common – before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 – Paul Alexander stood as a visible testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
Throughout his life, he boarded airplanes, visited strip clubs, witnessed the vastness of the ocean, sought solace in prayer, fell in love, lived independently and advocated for the rights of people with disabilities through headquarters. His person exudes charm, kindness, talkativeness, quick-temperedness and a tendency to anger and humor. At the age of 74, Paul once again finds himself locked in the iron lung full-time. In the United States, he is now one of only two people who still rely on this outdated device.
The last person to need an iron lung in the UK died in December 2017 aged 75. Defying all expectations, Paul defied the odds, surpassing the life expectancy predictions of those who depend on such machines. Yet as he deals with yet another deadly outbreak, his resilience faces another dire test.
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Categories: General
Source: HIS Education