Martha Lillard, the last known American to rely on an iron lung for survival, died on June 26 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, at age 78. Her sister, Cindy McVey, confirmed the death, noting that Lillard had been battling the lingering effects of long-haul COVID-19. A death certificate listed the causes as chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome.
Lillard contracted polio in 1953 at age five, during a period when the virus caused widespread fear and annual outbreaks of paralysis across the United States. While the development of the polio vaccine in 1955 eventually led to the disease's elimination in the U.S. by 1979, Lillard remained one of the few survivors who continued to use the antique, negative-pressure ventilator. She slept in the iron lung each night, relying on its bellows to force air into her lungs.
Throughout her life, Lillard navigated the challenges of her condition with significant determination. As a child, she attended school through an intercom system and later utilized custom equipment to maintain mobility. She became the last person in the country to use the device following the death of Paul Alexander in 2024.
In recent years, Lillard faced increasing difficulty maintaining the aging machine, which dated back to the 1940s. As parts became obsolete and repair expertise dwindled, she expressed the necessity of the device for her survival. Her passing marks the end of an era for a generation of polio survivors who relied on mechanical ventilation to overcome the devastating impacts of the virus.