Last US Polio Patient Using Iron Lung Dies at 78

Martha Lillard, the last polio patient in the United States to rely on an iron lung, died on June 26 in Oklahoma at age 78 Source: CNN. Her sister Cindy McVey attributed her death to the effects of long COVID, with the death certificate citing chronic lung failure and post-polio syndrome Source: Infobae.

Life with Polio

Lillard contracted polio at age 5 in 1953, two years before the vaccine became available, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down Source: Infobae. She used an iron lung, a full-body ventilator that regulated air pressure to force her lungs to breathe. Despite being told she would not live past 20, she persevered, living independently for many years Source: CNN.

Achievements and Love

• She attended school via a telephone intercom system and later drove a car Source: CNN.
• She wrote poems, composed songs, and even wrote her own obituary Source: Infobae.
• In February, she married Baha Salh, whom she met online after 9/11; her sister called them "soulmates" Source: CNN.

Final Years

Lillard contracted COVID-19 twice, and her lung capacity dropped below 25%. In her last two years, she was in the iron lung almost 24 hours a day . She had less than 25% lung capacity before getting COVID —both sources agree on this crucial detail.