Last known US polio survivor using iron lung dies aged 78
6 hours ago
- #Iron Lung
- #Polio Survivor
- #Medical History
- Martha Lillard, the last known US person living with polio and reliant on an iron lung, died at age 78 on June 26 in Oklahoma.
- She contracted polio at age five and spent most of her life in an iron lung to breathe, yet attended school and traveled with family using a custom trailer.
- Lillard defied early predictions that she wouldn't live past 20, showing enthusiasm and drive to live fully.
- Her death certificate lists chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome as causes, with long-term COVID-19 effects potentially contributing.
- Lillard described the iron lung as a relief when first used, noting it felt wonderful when breathing was difficult.
- Her death follows that of Paul Alexander, another famous iron lung patient who died at 78 after a life of achievements despite paralysis.
- Polio was once a feared disease in the US, causing widespread paralysis before vaccines led to its elimination in 1979.
- Iron lungs saved thousands during polio outbreaks but were largely replaced by other devices after vaccination campaigns expanded in the late 1950s.