The Guardian·3 min read·easy
Martha Lillard, last known US polio survivor using iron lung, dies aged 78
M
Marina Dunbar
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Martha Lillard, the last known polio survivor in the United States to rely on an iron lung, has passed away at age 78. She lived with the device for decades after contracting the virus as a child.
Martha Lillard rests in her iron lung on 6 February 2026 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Martha Lillard rests in her iron lung on 6 February 2026 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Oklahoma Martha Lillard, last known US polio survivor using iron lung, dies aged 78 Lillard, of Oklahoma, contracted polio when she was five and slept inside cylindrical metal device to help her breathe
healthculture
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