Martha Lillard, last known US polio survivor using iron lung, dies aged 78

Martha Lillard, recognized as the last known American to live with polio and depend on an iron lung for breathing, has died at the age of 78. Lillard contracted the disease at age five, leading to a life largely confined to the metal cylinder that mechanically assisted her respiration. Despite grim medical prognoses, she pursued education and lived a full life.

Her younger sister, Cindy McVey, shared that doctors had predicted Lillard would not live past 20. "She had the enthusiasm and the drive to continue living and make the best of her life," McVey told the Associated Press. McVey believes that complications from a recent bout of COVID-19 may have contributed to Lillard's passing, though her death certificate cites chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome.

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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 family facilitated her ability to travel, adapting their lives to accommodate her iron lung. She even managed to drive for a period. Her experience highlights the profound impact of polio in the mid-20th century, a time when iron lungs became a stark symbol of the feared disease. Lillard's passing comes two years after Paul Alexander, another prominent iron lung patient, died at the same age.

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It feels wonderful, actually, if you’re not breathing well. It makes all the difference when you’re not breathing.