Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dead at 78 in Oklahoma
Martha Lillard, the last American polio patient to rely on an iron lung, has passed away at age 78. She contracted the virus in 1953 and became a symbol of the long-term impact of the polio epidemic.
Why it matters
Marks the end of an era for polio survivors in the U.S. and serves as a historical reminder of the disease's severity before vaccines.
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Add The New York Post on Google An Oklahoma woman, who was the last American patient to rely on an iron lung to live after she was diagnosed with polio at 5 years old, has died.
Martha Lillard, who spent most of her life using the once-common breathing machine after contracting polio as a child, died June 26 at age 78 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, her sister Cindy McVey told The Associated Press .
“They told her she wasn’t supposed to live past 20 years old,” McVey told the outlet on Friday. “She had the enthusiasm and the drive to continue living and make the best of her life.”
McVey said long COVID contributed to Lillard’s death, while her death certificate lists chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome as the causes.
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