Last U.S. polio iron lung patient dies at 78 in Oklahoma, marking the end of an era

Martha Lillard, diagnosed with polio at age five and dependent on an iron lung for decades, died June 26 in Oklahoma at 78, becoming the last U.S. polio patient to use the device. Her death certificate lists chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome, with long-haul COVID cited as a contributing factor. Lillard led a life of adaptation and independence, learning online, forming long-distance connections, and even marrying after her husband was able to visit, before spending years mostly at home due to breathing difficulties.