Martha Lillard, last known US polio survivor using iron lung, dies aged 78
Summary
Martha Lillard, the last known person in the US using an iron lung to survive polio, died at age 78. She contracted polio at age five and lived most of her life relying on the machine to breathe. Lillard’s death was linked to lung failure, long-term effects of polio, and possibly long Covid.Key Facts
- Martha Lillard contracted polio at age five and used an iron lung to help her breathe throughout her life.
- She died on June 26 in Oklahoma at the age of 78.
- The iron lung is a metal cylinder that changes air pressure to push air in and out of the lungs.
- Despite her condition, Lillard attended school with a mix of in-person and tutoring.
- Her sister said Lillard was told she wouldn’t live past 20 but lived much longer with enthusiasm.
- Lillard’s death certificate lists chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome as causes of death; long Covid may have contributed.
- Iron lungs were widely used in the 1950s during polio outbreaks to save lives temporarily.
- Polio was declared eliminated in the US in 1979 due to widespread vaccination efforts.
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