The early 20th century was dominated by technological advancements, especially in healthcare. One of the most successful inventions of the era was the iron lung, which enabled thousands of victims of respiratory diseases to breathe again.
Polio, in particular, was treated through the use of iron lungs. Whilst the disease has almost been completely eradicated thanks to the development of a vaccine in 1955, there were a number of deadly outbreaks in the 1940s and 50s.
Children were particularly susceptible to the disease, and the vast majority of people who required respiratory treatment using an iron lung were children. However, very few of these children continued using the device into their adult lives.
But one of the exceptions is 70-year-old Paul Alexander from Dallas, Texas, who has been using an iron lung since 1952.
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