Martha Ann Lillard, the last polio survivor in the United States to live in an iron lung, died on June 26 at the age of 78. Her death followed the breakdown of the 1940s-era machine that had been keeping her alive for more than seven decades.
Lillard was diagnosed with polio on her fifth birthday in 1953. The disease left her unable to breathe independently, necessitating the use of the iron lung, an airtight metal tank that uses negative pressure to assist respiration. She described the moment she fell ill, recalling waking up with severe neck pain and an inability to lift her head.
Four days after her diagnosis, Lillard fell unconscious and was placed in the iron lung, which she stated saved her life. Despite the device's restrictive nature, she preferred it over more modern respirators, explaining that they could not provide the necessary pressure for her to breathe.
Lillard's sister, Cindy McVey, noted that the specialized parts needed for the iron lung were difficult to find due to their age. "Some of the parts are from the chevs of the forties, and they're hard to locate," McVey said. "We have a spare motor, but we don't have anyone to put it back in if we needed it."
After her polio diagnosis, Lillard spent six months in the hospital learning to breathe on her own and undergoing rehabilitation for paralyzed limbs. She was initially required to spend 23 hours a day in the iron lung. She managed to live a relatively normal life despite having only 25 percent lung capacity, scoliosis, and a paralyzed right arm. A GoFundMe fundraiser highlighted her creativity, stating she spent her life as normally as possible, engaging in painting, writing poetry, and composing music.
In recent years, Lillard's health challenges increased after contracting COVID-19 twice and shingles. The aging iron lung also began to falter, with one incident last year involving a power outage due to a tornado that required her husband to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until further aid arrived.
In the months leading up to her death, Lillard was forced to remain in the iron lung for 24 hours a day as her ability to breathe independently diminished. Her public obituary indicated she died of long-haul COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, Lillard managed her daily life with a portable ventilator, but the onset of COVID-19 necessitated constant use of the iron lung and the assistance of a caregiver, according to her sister.