Who is Martha Lillard? Last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 - Check cause of death

Martha Lillard, believed to be the last person in the United States to depend on an iron lung, has died at the age of 78. Her sister, Cindy McVey, told the Associated Press that Lillard passed away on June 26 in Oklahoma. Although no official cause of death was confirmed, her family believes lingering complications from long COVID contributed to her declining health. Lillard was just 5 years old when she contracted polio, a disease that left her unable to breathe independently. She spent most of her life relying on an iron lung, a large metal ventilator that used changes in air pressure to help her lungs function. Despite being paralyzed from the neck down, she refused to let her condition define her.

Determined to continue her education, Lillard attended elementary school for part of each day before studying at home with tutors. In high school, she stayed connected to her classes through a telephone-based intercom system that allowed her to communicate with teachers and classmates remotely. Her family also found creative ways to ensure she could travel, using a specially designed trailer and carefully planning hotel stays that could accommodate the bulky machine.



Over time, physical therapy helped Lillard regain limited movement in her left arm and legs. Although her mobility remained severely restricted, she managed to live independently for years, preparing her own meals and maintaining an active interest in the world through the internet.

According to the news agency, Lillard's health worsened significantly after contracting COVID-19 twice during the pandemic. With lung function already below 25%, breathing became increasingly difficult, and she spent nearly all of her final two years inside the iron lung.

Before vaccines were introduced, polio was one of the most feared diseases in the United States, with recurring outbreaks leaving thousands of people - mostly children - with permanent paralysis each year. The fight against the disease changed dramatically after the first polio vaccine became available in 1955.

A nationwide immunization campaign led to a steep decline in infections, reducing annual cases to fewer than 100 by the 1960s and to fewer than 10 during the 1970s. By 1979, health officials declared polio eliminated in the United States, meaning the virus was no longer spreading routinely within the country.

Lillard's extraordinary life reflected resilience, determination, and the remarkable advances in medicine. Her story also serves as a powerful reminder of the devastating impact of polio before vaccines became widely available and the importance of immunization in preventing the disease.