Martha Lillard, the last American to use an iron lung, died on Friday in Oklahoma at the age of 78. She had been diagnosed with polio as a child, which left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on the mechanical ventilator to assist her breathing.
Lillard contracted polio at age five. Initially, doctors predicted she would not live past 20 years old. Despite her condition, she pursued education, attending school for two hours daily with the assistance of tutors and an intercom phone system that allowed her to participate in classes from home. Her family also facilitated childhood road trips by using a custom trailer for the iron lung and ensuring hotel accommodations were accessible.
An iron lung is a negative-pressure ventilator that helps individuals with paralyzed lung muscles breathe. Polio was once a widespread and feared disease, causing thousands of paralysis cases annually during outbreaks in the early 20th century. The development of a vaccine in 1955 led to the disease's elimination in the U.S. by 1979.
Lillard's condition worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to her requiring the iron lung nearly 24 hours a day after contracting the virus twice. Before her COVID-19 diagnoses, she had approximately 25% lung capacity. She also experienced chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome, which her sister indicated were related to the effects of long-haul COVID.
Over time, Lillard regained some use of her limbs through therapy, enabling her to drive for a period and live independently. Earlier this year, she married a man from Egypt with whom she had corresponded for two decades. Her sister described them as "soul mates."
Lillard's sister, Cindy McVey, stated that Lillard possessed a strong will to live and made the most of her life. She was also involved in writing poetry and volunteering with the Humane Society.