Oklahoma polio survivor, final iron lung patient in the U.S., dies at 78

Martha Lillard, who contracted polio at age 5 and spent much of her life in an iron lung, died in Shawnee, Oklahoma on June 26 at 78. She was the last U.S. polio patient to rely on the iron lung, defying doctors’ early predictions, and her sister says long-haul COVID-19 contributed to her death; the death certificate lists chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome as causes. Lillard led a mostly homebound life, but stayed connected online, even meeting her husband after years of online chats.