Last US polio patient using iron lung dies at 78

Martha Lillard, who relied on an iron lung for decades after contracting polio at age five, died on June 26 in Oklahoma. She was 78 and believed to be the last polio patient in the United States to use the life-sustaining machine.

Her sister, Cindy McVey, said Lillard's death was due to complications from long-haul COVID-19. Doctors had initially predicted Lillard would not live past age 20, but she possessed a strong will to live. "She had the enthusiasm and the drive to continue living and make the best of her life," McVey said.

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They told her she wasn't supposed to live past 20 years old. She had the enthusiasm and the drive to continue living and make the best of her life.

Lillard's life required significant adaptations. She slept in the iron lung, a cylinder that encased her body and mechanically assisted her breathing. Education was managed through an intercom system at school and tutoring. Road trips involved custom trailers, and her father would call ahead to ensure hotels had doors wide enough for her machine. She even learned to drive at one point.

Technology later played a crucial role in her life. The internet allowed her to stay informed and connect with others. She met her husband, Baha Salh, online and communicated with him for over 20 years before he could obtain a visa to travel to Oklahoma. They married in February, with McVey describing them as "soul mates."

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They were really soul mates. He's extremely brokenhearted.