Martha Lillard, last US iron lung polio survivor, dies at 78
Martha Lillard, the last known American polio survivor to rely on an iron lung, has passed away at age 78. Despite her condition, she lived a full life and became a symbol of resilience for those affected by the 20th-century polio epidemic.
Why it matters
Her death marks the end of an era for polio survivors in the United States, highlighting the historical impact of the disease and the medical advancements that eventually eliminated it.
Oklahoma: Martha Lillard, believed to be the last polio survivor in the United States to rely on an iron lung, has died at the age of 78 in Oklahoma.
Lillard, who contracted polio shortly after turning five, died on June 26, according to her younger sister, Cindy McVey.
“They told her she wasn't supposed to live past 20 years old,” McVey told The Associated Press on Friday. “She had the enthusiasm and the drive to continue living and make the best of her life.”
McVey attributed her sister's death to the effects of long-haul Covid-19. However, the death certificate listed the causes of death as chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome, she said.
Lillard relied on an iron lung, a large cylindrical machine that encased her body and used changes in air pressure to help her breathe.
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