The last known person in the US who relied on an iron lung due to polio has passed away at the age of 78.
Martha Lillard, who was diagnosed with polio at five and spent most of her life in an iron lung that assisted her breathing, died on June 26 in Oklahoma, as detailed in an online obituary.
This device, a metal cylinder, surrounded her body and worked by changing air pressure to help her lungs. Despite her situation, she attended school for a couple of hours a day, completing the rest of her education through tutoring.
“They told her she wasn’t supposed to live past 20,” said Cindy McVey, Lillard’s sister, in an interview with the Associated Press. “She really had the will to live and made the most of it.”
McVey believes that complications from a long-term case of Covid-19 played a part in her sister’s passing. The death certificate cited chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome as contributing factors.
Her family worked to ensure Lillard could travel, using a specialized trailer for road trips to Missouri. In fact, her father went out of his way to check that hotel entrances were wide enough for the iron lung. There was even a time when Lillard could drive.
Reflecting on her experiences, McVey noted that Lillard thrived despite her challenges.
In a 2013 interview with NBC News, Lillard shared that her first experience with the iron lung felt like “a relief.”
“It’s really wonderful when you’re struggling to breathe,” she remarked, highlighting how much it helped her quality of life.
Lillard’s death comes two years after Paul Alexander, a notable figure who spent much of his life in an iron lung after contracting polio at six, also died at 78.
Alexander, who was paralyzed from the neck down, became an inspirational figure, achieving a law degree, writing a memoir, and even painting with a brush held in his mouth.
He was recognized by Guinness World Records as the “longest iron lung patient.”
Before the advent of vaccines, polio was a major source of fear in the US, causing annual epidemics that resulted in thousands of paralyzed individuals, mostly children.
Iron lungs saved countless lives during this time, though they were primarily meant for temporary support.
With extensive vaccination campaigns starting in the late 1950s, the use of iron lungs declined as newer breathing devices were developed. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination dramatically decreased annual polio cases in the US, leading to a declaration of its elimination in 1979, meaning it was no longer a regular threat.
