Martha Lillard, who is described as the last polio patient in the United States using an iron lung, has died at age 78 in Oklahoma, according to multiple outlets. Her death is reported as occurring in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Several reports note that Lillard’s iron lung had become difficult to maintain as the machine began to break down, and that repair options were limited. The outlets describe her life and medical history in the context of polio treatment at a time when iron lungs were used to support breathing for patients with paralytic polio.
The coverage is consistent that Lillard remained on the ventilator device for many years and became widely recognized as the final American using it. The reports also emphasize the significance of her status as the last surviving user in the United States, marking the end of an era for a medical intervention associated with polio’s earlier outbreaks.
