In his final days, Paul Alexander opened a TikTok account where he opened up about his dependence on an archaic iron lung to breathe. Despite being paralyzed by Polio, Paul lived a full life, attending college and practicing law for over three decades. His cause of death is unclear.
Paul Alexander was engaged, but the bride-to-be’s mother called off the engagement
While studying at Southern Methodist University, Paul met the love of his life, Claire. He fell in love and proposed. Claire accepted; her mother objected. One day, he called Claire, but her mother picked up and told him off, warning him never to speak to Claire again. “Took years to heal from that,” Paul told The Guardian.
The closest Paul ever came to romance again was with his long-term caregiver, Kathy. The legally blind Kathy tended to Paul from his law school graduation to his death. “Kathy and I grew together … she stretched herself over as many things as I needed,” he said. Paul’s brother Phil described Paul and Kathy’s relationship as a marriage:
“Paul has always been aggressive about things that he wants and needs around other people. He’s pretty demanding. But Kathy is more demanding than he is. They’ve had their moments, but they always work it out.”