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A fascinating account of the world’s most famous disease - polio - told as you have never heard it before. Epidemics of paralysis began to rage in the early 1900s, seemingly out of nowhere. Doctors, parents, and health officials were at a loss to explain why this formerly unheard-of disease began paralyzing so many children. Why did this disease start to become such a horrible problem during the late 1800s? Why did it affect children more often than adults? Why was it originally called teething paralysis by mothers and their doctors?

The podcast explores the life of Paul Alexander, one of the last polio survivors still using an iron lung, a mechanical ventilator that helped patients breathe during the polio epidemic of the 20th century. It delves into the origins and benefits of the iron lung, as well as the new alternatives that have emerged in recent decades, such as positive pressure ventilators and diaphragm pacing systems. The article highlights Alexander's resilience and determination in living a full life despite his physical limitations, and discusses the ongoing advancements in medical technology that aim to ...

Joints & Drinks Podcast with your hosts Bryan and Jewels, presented by The Iron Lung Lounge. Join us along with special guests as we talk about thier travels, life experices, and the successes/downfalls that bring us to where they are today. What better way of doing that than with a joint and a drink.

Some might wonder how Martha could have clung to hope at all. In 1948, on the day of the funeral of her adored older brother, Gaston, a quick victim of the great polio epidemic, Martha was struck with the same dreaded disease. After a year in polio hospitals, she was sent back to her home in the village of Lattimore in the cotton-growing hills of western North Carolina. She was completely paralyzed, with only her head protruding from an 800-pound yellow metal cylinder that breathed for her.