Martha Lillard, the last known polio patient in the United States to rely on an iron lung, died on June 26 in Oklahoma. She was 78. Lillard contracted polio at age 5, an illness that once instilled widespread fear due to its potential to cause paralysis.

Her sister, Cindy McVey, stated that doctors had predicted Lillard would not live past age 20. Despite this prognosis, Lillard maintained a strong will to live and made the most of her life, McVey said. While the official cause of death is unconfirmed, McVey believes it was a result of long-haul COVID-19, a condition Lillard experienced twice.

Lillard spent much of her life confined to an iron lung, a mechanical respirator that encased her body, using air pressure to force breaths. Her education was adapted to her condition, with a limited time in grade school and the rest via tutoring. She attended high school through an intercom system that connected her to classrooms.

Her family made accommodations for travel, including a custom trailer for road trips. Lillard was also able to drive for a period. "To me, it was just normal," McVey recalled.

Polio, which primarily affected children, led to thousands of paralysis cases annually before the development of vaccines. A national vaccination campaign starting in 1955 significantly reduced U.S. cases, leading to the disease being declared eliminated in the U.S. in 1979, meaning it was no longer routinely spreading.

Despite her paralysis from the neck down, Lillard regained some use of her left arm and legs through therapy. She was able to live independently for many years, even preparing her own meals. The internet played a significant role in her life, allowing her to stay informed and connect with others. She met her husband, Baha Salh, online and communicated with him for over two decades before he was able to obtain a visa to join her in Oklahoma.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lillard's lung capacity, already less than 25% of normal before her infections, further diminished. In her final years, she required the iron lung nearly 24 hours a day and was unable to leave her home due to breathing difficulties.

McVey described her sister as artistic and creative, noting Lillard's poetry, songwriting, and volunteer work with animal rescue. Lillard had also written her own obituary, which was later updated to include her cause of death as long-haul COVID-19. In recent years, Lillard and her sister had sought assistance to repair her iron lung, but with her passing, the need for such services for the last U.S. patient has ended.