Despite advancements in medical technology, Paul Alexander’s damaged chest muscles prevented him from using portable ventilators, leaving him dependent on the iron lung for most of his life.

After 18 months in the ward, his parents rented a portable generator and a truck to bring him and his iron lung home on ...

The iron lung was an invention that helped keep thousands of sufferers alive, by breathing for those who had lost the ability through the degenerative effects of the disease. A small handful of ...