{"id":4040,"date":"2026-07-12T04:40:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T23:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=4040"},"modified":"2026-07-12T04:40:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T23:40:53","slug":"woman-78-last-polio-survivor-living-in-iron-lung-passes-away-after-machine-becomes-too-old-to-repair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=4040","title":{"rendered":"Woman, 78, Last Polio Survivor Living In Iron Lung, Passes Away After Machine Becomes Too Old To Repair"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><b>Martha Ann Lillard<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, believed to be the<\/span><b> last person<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the United States to rely on an <\/span><b>iron lung, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has <\/span><b>passed away <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at the age of 78 after spending more than seven decades living with the effects of <\/span><b>polio<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her story touched millions because she refused to let the disease define her life, even as her <\/span><b>decades-old breathing machine <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">became harder to repair.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-highlights\"><span class=\"h2\">Highlights<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"bullet-wrapper\"><i class=\"bullet\"\/><\/span><span>Martha Ann Lillard, believed to be the last American relying on an iron lung, passed away at 78 after living with polio for more than 70 years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"bullet-wrapper\"><i class=\"bullet\"\/><\/span><span>Despite severe health challenges, Lillard lived independently for many years, pursuing art, music, travel, and animal rescue.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"bullet-wrapper\"><i class=\"bullet\"\/><\/span><span>Her passing marked the end of an era that began before the polio vaccine.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the news of her passing, many people reflected on her resilience, with one commenter writing, \u201cI can\u2019t imagine how it would feel to be in one of those. Glad she was able to get out and live with a <\/span><b>bit of independence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> without it for a while every day. May she RIP.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Martha Lillard spent more than 70 years living with the effects of polio before passing at 78<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"attachment-link-container shareable-image-block\" id=\"woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc2bf066__700\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?image_id=woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc2bf066__700.jpg\"><a class=\"web-share-button list-item-share new-share-experiment\" data-location=\"single-post-image\" data-title=\"Woman, 78, Last Polio Survivor Living In Iron Lung, Passes Away After Machine Becomes Too Old To Repair\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?media_id=woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc2bf066__700\" data-image=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc2bf066__700.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><i><svg class=\"svg-icon icon-share-icon\" role=\"img\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\"><path d=\"M0 15C0 10.8824 5.22292 10.0588 8.79817 10.0588V14.1765L15.7006 8.23061C15.7941 8.15345 15.8695 8.05559 15.9213 7.94441C15.9731 7.83323 16 7.71155 16 7.58824C16 7.46492 15.9731 7.34314 15.9213 7.23196C15.8695 7.12078 15.7941 7.02302 15.7006 6.94586L8.79817 1V5.11765C2.3995 5.11765 0 9.76235 0 15Z\"\/><\/svg><\/i><\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc2bf066__700.jpg\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" alt=\"A 78-year-old polio survivor living in an iron lung machine, with her head resting on a striped pillow.\" title=\"A 78-year-old polio survivor living in an iron lung machine, with her head resting on a striped pillow.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"post-content-media-source\">Image credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XM_q0wt82d0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KFOR Oklahoma\u2019s News 4\/YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Martha Ann Lillard contracted polio in 1953 on her fifth birthday, just two years before the first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/disturbing-backstory-behind-something-considered-wholesome\/\" class=\" staff-link\">polio vaccine<\/a> became available in the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking to Oklahoma station <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KFOR<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> just days before her passing, she remembered how quickly her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/funny-people-fighting-illnesses\/\" class=\" staff-link\">condition<\/a> worsened.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI woke up, and it was sunny outside, and I started to sit up, and my neck was k*lling me. I couldn\u2019t lift my head off the pillow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just a few days later, she lost the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/doctors-share-how-are-you-alive-moments\/\" class=\" staff-link\">ability<\/a> to breathe on her own.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAfter four days, I went unconscious. I couldn\u2019t breathe. I couldn\u2019t move my arms or legs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"attachment-link-container shareable-image-block\" id=\"woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc470a9d__700\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?image_id=woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc470a9d__700.jpg\"><a class=\"web-share-button list-item-share new-share-experiment\" data-location=\"single-post-image\" data-title=\"Woman, 78, Last Polio Survivor Living In Iron Lung, Passes Away After Machine Becomes Too Old To Repair\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?media_id=woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc470a9d__700\" data-image=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc470a9d__700.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><i><svg class=\"svg-icon icon-share-icon\" role=\"img\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\"><path d=\"M0 15C0 10.8824 5.22292 10.0588 8.79817 10.0588V14.1765L15.7006 8.23061C15.7941 8.15345 15.8695 8.05559 15.9213 7.94441C15.9731 7.83323 16 7.71155 16 7.58824C16 7.46492 15.9731 7.34314 15.9213 7.23196C15.8695 7.12078 15.7941 7.02302 15.7006 6.94586L8.79817 1V5.11765C2.3995 5.11765 0 9.76235 0 15Z\"\/><\/svg><\/i><\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away-6a52bdc470a9d__700.jpg\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" alt=\"Close-up of the 78-year-old polio survivor's face, her head extending from the iron lung machine.\" title=\"Close-up of the 78-year-old polio survivor's face, her head extending from the iron lung machine.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"post-content-media-source\">Image credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XM_q0wt82d0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KFOR Oklahoma\u2019s News 4\/YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doctors placed her inside an iron lung, a large metal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/strange-medical-treatments-devices-from-past\/\" class=\" staff-link\">ventilator<\/a> that uses changing air pressure to help patients breathe when their lungs cannot do the job themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While many children found the machine frightening, Lillard said it gave her a sense of relief.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey usually didn\u2019t like to put children in because they fought it, but I didn\u2019t. I liked it. It felt good to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/design-that-breathes-and-remembers-you\/\" class=\" staff-link\">breathe<\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She spent six months in hospital, using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/oddly-horrifying-posts\/\" class=\" staff-link\">iron lung<\/a> for about 23 hours each day while learning how to breathe independently again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"post-desktop-ad-within-content post-ads margin-left\"><span class=\"dfp-ad\"><span><span class=\"pg-ad-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, she regained the ability to walk, although her right arm remained <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/im-using-virtual-reality-to-trick-brain-of-paralyzed-patient-to-see-their-moving-hands-for-recovery-support\/\" class=\" staff-link\">paralyzed<\/a>. At her healthiest, she needed the iron lung only while sleeping and managed to live independently for many years despite having only 25% lung capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a GoFundMe created after her passing, she painted, wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/portraits-poems-ex-inmates-st-leonard-sandro-miller-brandon-crockett-chicago\/\" class=\" staff-link\">poetry<\/a>, composed music for the left-hand piano, and rescued abandoned dogs throughout her life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEven as post-polio syndrome continued to affect her, she maintained a wonderful fighting attitude, making the most of what she had left and enjoying life as much as she could,\u201d the fundraiser stated.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Although Lillard eventually learned to live with polio, her health declined significantly in recent years<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"attachment-link-container shareable-image-block\" id=\"4-6a52bcd073aa9__700\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?image_id=4-6a52bcd073aa9__700.jpg\"><a class=\"web-share-button list-item-share new-share-experiment\" data-location=\"single-post-image\" data-title=\"Woman, 78, Last Polio Survivor Living In Iron Lung, Passes Away After Machine Becomes Too Old To Repair\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?media_id=4-6a52bcd073aa9__700\" data-image=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4-6a52bcd073aa9__700.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><i><svg class=\"svg-icon icon-share-icon\" role=\"img\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\"><path d=\"M0 15C0 10.8824 5.22292 10.0588 8.79817 10.0588V14.1765L15.7006 8.23061C15.7941 8.15345 15.8695 8.05559 15.9213 7.94441C15.9731 7.83323 16 7.71155 16 7.58824C16 7.46492 15.9731 7.34314 15.9213 7.23196C15.8695 7.12078 15.7941 7.02302 15.7006 6.94586L8.79817 1V5.11765C2.3995 5.11765 0 9.76235 0 15Z\"\/><\/svg><\/i><\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4-6a52bcd073aa9__700.jpg\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" alt=\"A young polio survivor, a girl, smiling in a black and white photograph.\" title=\"A young polio survivor, a girl, smiling in a black and white photograph.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"post-content-media-source\">Image credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XM_q0wt82d0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KFOR Oklahoma\u2019s News 4\/YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She developed post-polio syndrome, a condition that can cause increasing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/anatomy-print-garments-not-only-for-athletes\/\" class=\" staff-link\">muscle<\/a> weakness decades after the initial infection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She also caught <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/people-share-their-covid-projects\/\" class=\" staff-link\">COVID-19<\/a> twice and later developed long COVID.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her sister, Cindy McVey, said those illnesses forced Lillard to rely on the iron lung again around the clock.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the same time, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/unusual-mechanic-shop-finds\/\" class=\" staff-link\">machine<\/a> itself was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many of its parts dated back to the 1940s, making replacements extremely difficult to find.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSome of the parts are from the forties, and they\u2019re hard to locate,\u201d McVey explained.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"attachment-link-container shareable-image-block\" id=\"5-6a52bcd1bbc1b__700\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?image_id=5-6a52bcd1bbc1b__700.jpg\"><a class=\"web-share-button list-item-share new-share-experiment\" data-location=\"single-post-image\" data-title=\"Woman, 78, Last Polio Survivor Living In Iron Lung, Passes Away After Machine Becomes Too Old To Repair\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?media_id=5-6a52bcd1bbc1b__700\" data-image=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5-6a52bcd1bbc1b__700.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><i><svg class=\"svg-icon icon-share-icon\" role=\"img\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\"><path d=\"M0 15C0 10.8824 5.22292 10.0588 8.79817 10.0588V14.1765L15.7006 8.23061C15.7941 8.15345 15.8695 8.05559 15.9213 7.94441C15.9731 7.83323 16 7.71155 16 7.58824C16 7.46492 15.9731 7.34314 15.9213 7.23196C15.8695 7.12078 15.7941 7.02302 15.7006 6.94586L8.79817 1V5.11765C2.3995 5.11765 0 9.76235 0 15Z\"\/><\/svg><\/i><\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5-6a52bcd1bbc1b__700.jpg\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" alt=\"A young polio survivor woman smiles from inside an iron lung machine, her head resting on a pillow.\" title=\"A young polio survivor woman smiles from inside an iron lung machine, her head resting on a pillow.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"post-content-media-source\">Image credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XM_q0wt82d0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KFOR Oklahoma\u2019s News 4\/YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"post-desktop-ad-within-content post-ads margin-left\"><span class=\"dfp-ad\"><span><span class=\"pg-ad-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have a spare motor, but we don\u2019t have anyone to put it back in if we needed it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lillard said she had tried newer ventilators over the years but always returned to the iron lung because modern machines could not provide enough <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/before-after-pressure-washing-cleaning\/\" class=\" staff-link\">pressure<\/a> for her breathing needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNone of them could get up to 21 pounds, which is what I needed to breathe. So they just weren\u2019t effective.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last year, when a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/worst-tornado-in-us-history\/\" class=\" staff-link\">tornado<\/a> knocked out power to her home, her husband, Baha Salh, kept her alive by performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until emergency crews arrived.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to her d*ath certificate, she passed away on June 26 from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/chronic-illness-absurd-cure-advice\/\" class=\" staff-link\">chronic pulmonary<\/a> failure linked to post-polio syndrome, with long COVID also contributing to her declining health.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Lillard\u2019s story left many people wondering why a replacement machine was never built<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"attachment-link-container shareable-image-block\" id=\"6-6a52bcd319abe__700\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?image_id=6-6a52bcd319abe__700.jpg\"><a class=\"web-share-button list-item-share new-share-experiment\" data-location=\"single-post-image\" data-title=\"Woman, 78, Last Polio Survivor Living In Iron Lung, Passes Away After Machine Becomes Too Old To Repair\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?media_id=6-6a52bcd319abe__700\" data-image=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6-6a52bcd319abe__700.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><i><svg class=\"svg-icon icon-share-icon\" role=\"img\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\"><path d=\"M0 15C0 10.8824 5.22292 10.0588 8.79817 10.0588V14.1765L15.7006 8.23061C15.7941 8.15345 15.8695 8.05559 15.9213 7.94441C15.9731 7.83323 16 7.71155 16 7.58824C16 7.46492 15.9731 7.34314 15.9213 7.23196C15.8695 7.12078 15.7941 7.02302 15.7006 6.94586L8.79817 1V5.11765C2.3995 5.11765 0 9.76235 0 15Z\"\/><\/svg><\/i><\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6-6a52bcd319abe__700.jpg\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" alt=\"An older polio survivor woman smiles from inside her iron lung, with long hair and a white neck scarf.\" title=\"An older polio survivor woman smiles from inside her iron lung, with long hair and a white neck scarf.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"post-content-media-source\">Image credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XM_q0wt82d0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KFOR Oklahoma\u2019s News 4\/YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following news of her passing, many people questioned why someone who depended on an iron lung for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/luckiest-danger-escape-stories\/\" class=\" staff-link\">survival<\/a> could not simply receive a newer version.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m pretty sure with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/interesting-technology-facts-futuretech\/\" class=\" staff-link\">technology<\/a> they could\u2019ve built a new iron lung,\u201d one commenter wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another added, \u201cSo we can go to the moon but couldn\u2019t just make her a new iron lung?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some believed the issue was not technology but cost.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt wasn\u2019t too old to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/tech-support-fails-pictures\/\" class=\" staff-link\">repair<\/a>, it was more like too expensive,\u201d one person commented.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"attachment-link-container shareable-image-block\" id=\"3-6a52bccef1367__700\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?image_id=3-6a52bccef1367__700.jpg\"><a class=\"web-share-button list-item-share new-share-experiment\" data-location=\"single-post-image\" data-title=\"Woman, 78, Last Polio Survivor Living In Iron Lung, Passes Away After Machine Becomes Too Old To Repair\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?media_id=3-6a52bccef1367__700\" data-image=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-6a52bccef1367__700.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><i><svg class=\"svg-icon icon-share-icon\" role=\"img\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\"><path d=\"M0 15C0 10.8824 5.22292 10.0588 8.79817 10.0588V14.1765L15.7006 8.23061C15.7941 8.15345 15.8695 8.05559 15.9213 7.94441C15.9731 7.83323 16 7.71155 16 7.58824C16 7.46492 15.9731 7.34314 15.9213 7.23196C15.8695 7.12078 15.7941 7.02302 15.7006 6.94586L8.79817 1V5.11765C2.3995 5.11765 0 9.76235 0 15Z\"\/><\/svg><\/i><\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-6a52bccef1367__700.jpg\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" alt=\"An empty iron lung machine in a room, with a camera set up for filming the polio survivor's story.\" title=\"An empty iron lung machine in a room, with a camera set up for filming the polio survivor's story.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"post-content-media-source\">Image credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XM_q0wt82d0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KFOR Oklahoma\u2019s News 4\/YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"post-desktop-ad-within-content post-ads margin-left\"><span class=\"dfp-ad\"><span><span class=\"pg-ad-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Others reflected on the life she had lived.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHonestly, it\u2019s probably a great release for her. She\u2019s finally free.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another wrote, \u201cWhat kind of life is that? Saw it in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/bad-movie-details-posts\/\" class=\" staff-link\">movie<\/a> but it makes no sense to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite spending decades using an iron lung, Lillard attended school, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/cooking-tip-terrible-advice\/\" class=\" staff-link\">cooked<\/a> for herself, drove, traveled with her family in a custom trailer built to carry the machine, and recently married Baha Salh after more than 20 years of getting to know each other online.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey told her she wasn\u2019t supposed to live past 20 years old,\u201d McVey told the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Associated Press<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cShe had the enthusiasm and the drive to continue living and make the best of her life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Lillard\u2019s passing came just over two years after another well-known iron lung survivor, Paul Alexander, passed away in March 2024 at the age of 78<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"attachment-link-container shareable-image-block\" id=\"8-6a52bcd6589f1__700\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?image_id=8-6a52bcd6589f1__700.jpg\"><a class=\"web-share-button list-item-share new-share-experiment\" data-location=\"single-post-image\" data-title=\"Woman, 78, Last Polio Survivor Living In Iron Lung, Passes Away After Machine Becomes Too Old To Repair\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?media_id=8-6a52bcd6589f1__700\" data-image=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/8-6a52bcd6589f1__700.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><i><svg class=\"svg-icon icon-share-icon\" role=\"img\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\"><path d=\"M0 15C0 10.8824 5.22292 10.0588 8.79817 10.0588V14.1765L15.7006 8.23061C15.7941 8.15345 15.8695 8.05559 15.9213 7.94441C15.9731 7.83323 16 7.71155 16 7.58824C16 7.46492 15.9731 7.34314 15.9213 7.23196C15.8695 7.12078 15.7941 7.02302 15.7006 6.94586L8.79817 1V5.11765C2.3995 5.11765 0 9.76235 0 15Z\"\/><\/svg><\/i><\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/8-6a52bcd6589f1__700.jpg\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" alt=\"A young polio survivor with long brown hair plays an acoustic guitar, finding joy despite living in an iron lung.\" title=\"A young polio survivor with long brown hair plays an acoustic guitar, finding joy despite living in an iron lung.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"post-content-media-source\">Image credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XM_q0wt82d0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KFOR Oklahoma\u2019s News 4\/YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"post-desktop-ad-within-content post-ads margin-left\"><span class=\"dfp-ad\"><span><span class=\"pg-ad-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"attachment-link-container shareable-image-block\" id=\"7-6a52bcd47aa35__700\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?image_id=7-6a52bcd47aa35__700.jpg\"><a class=\"web-share-button list-item-share new-share-experiment\" data-location=\"single-post-image\" data-title=\"Woman, 78, Last Polio Survivor Living In Iron Lung, Passes Away After Machine Becomes Too Old To Repair\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/woman-78-who-was-last-polio-survivor-to-live-in-iron-lung-passes-away\/?media_id=7-6a52bcd47aa35__700\" data-image=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/7-6a52bcd47aa35__700.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><i><svg class=\"svg-icon icon-share-icon\" role=\"img\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\"><path d=\"M0 15C0 10.8824 5.22292 10.0588 8.79817 10.0588V14.1765L15.7006 8.23061C15.7941 8.15345 15.8695 8.05559 15.9213 7.94441C15.9731 7.83323 16 7.71155 16 7.58824C16 7.46492 15.9731 7.34314 15.9213 7.23196C15.8695 7.12078 15.7941 7.02302 15.7006 6.94586L8.79817 1V5.11765C2.3995 5.11765 0 9.76235 0 15Z\"\/><\/svg><\/i><\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/7-6a52bcd47aa35__700.jpg\" width=\"700\" height=\"900\" alt=\"A smiling young polio survivor with long blonde hair sits on a car, wearing an American flag shirt, living in an iron lung.\" title=\"A smiling young polio survivor with long blonde hair sits on a car, wearing an American flag shirt, living in an iron lung.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"post-content-media-source\">Image credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XM_q0wt82d0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KFOR Oklahoma\u2019s News 4\/YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/paul-alexander-iron-lung-polio-survivor-passed-away-at-78\/\" class=\" staff-link\">Alexander<\/a> contracted polio in 1952 when he was six years old and spent nearly 72 years using an iron lung, earning recognition from Guinness World Records as the person who had lived inside one for the longest time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like Lillard, he refused to let the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/ignored-serious-medical-symptoms\/\" class=\" staff-link\">disease<\/a> stop him from building a full life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using a breathing technique known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/doctors-share-their-biggest-mistakes\/\" class=\" staff-link\">glossopharyngeal<\/a> breathing, Alexander gradually learned to spend time outside the machine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He later earned a bachelor\u2019s degree and a law degree from the University of Texas, became a practicing attorney in 1986, wrote a memoir, and even gained hundreds of thousands of followers on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/hilarious-funny-tiktok-replies\/\" class=\" staff-link\">TikTok<\/a> by sharing his life story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"video-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Last Iron Lung\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XM_q0wt82d0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Alexander passed away in 2024, Lillard became the last known <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/dumb-american-posts\/\" class=\" staff-link\">American<\/a> still relying on an iron lung.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her passing now marks the end of an era that began before the introduction of the polio vaccine in 1955.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">World Health Organization<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, cases of wild polio have fallen by more than 99% since 1988, a decline attributed to widespread <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/doctors-share-anti-vaxx-experiences\/\" class=\" staff-link\">vaccination<\/a> programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>\u201cHonestly, it\u2019s a great release for her. She\u2019s finally free,\u201d wrote one netizen<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"post-desktop-ad-within-content post-ads margin-left\"><span class=\"dfp-ad\"><span><span class=\"pg-ad-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"post-desktop-ad-within-content post-ads margin-left\"><span class=\"dfp-ad\"><span><span class=\"pg-ad-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"post-desktop-ad-within-content post-ads margin-left\"><span class=\"dfp-ad\"><span><span class=\"pg-ad-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"postPoll-10900152\" class=\"post-poll poll-wrapper single-post\" data-poll-viewed=\"false\" data-post-id=\"10900152\" data-main-post-id=\"\" data-poll-id=\"28425\"> <input class=\"post-10900152-poll-value\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"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\"\/> <\/p>\n<div data-bind=\"if: isInitialised()\">\n<div data-bind=\"if: !isLoading() &amp;&amp; isShowingResults\">\n<div class=\"poll-content\">\n<h3 class=\"answered-content-title\">Thanks! Check out the results:<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"answered-content-question\" data-bind=\"text: currentQuestionText()\"\/>\n<p> <span class=\"text\">Total votes \u00b7 <\/span> <span data-bind=\"text: totalVotesFormatted\"\/> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <!-- Newsletter --> <\/p>\n<div class=\"subscribe-to-newsletter-block-wrapper\">\n<p>Newsletter<\/p>\n<div class=\"subscribe-to-newsletter-block\">\n<p><h3 class=\"title\">Subscribe to Access <br \/>Exclusive Polls<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"right\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/boredpanda\/images\/icons\/subscription-panda.svg\" alt=\"Subscribe to Access &lt;br\/&gt; Exclusive Polls\"\/> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p>By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you&#8217;re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bind=\"if: newsletterSubscribed\" class=\"thank-you\">\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<p class=\"right\">Thank you! You&#8217;ve successfully subscribed to newsletters!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <!-- Newsletter --> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"didomi\/javascript\">\nwindow._fbSDKPromise = window._fbSDKPromise || new Promise((resolve, reject) => {\nwindow.fbAsyncInit = function () {\nFB.init({\nappId  : '887842622821495',\nversion: 'v17.0',\nstatus : true,\ncookie : true,\nxfbml  : false\n});\nresolve(FB);\n};\n\/\/ Load SDK only once\nif (!document.getElementById('facebook-jssdk')) {\nconst script = document.createElement('script');\nscript.id = 'facebook-jssdk';\nscript.async = true;\nscript.src = `https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/${BoredPanda.Config.wp_lang}\/sdk.js`;\nscript.onerror = reject;\ndocument.head.appendChild(script);\n}\n});\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Martha Ann Lillard, believed to be the last person in the United States to rely on an iron lung, has passed away at the age of 78 after spending more than seven decades living with the effects of polio. Her story touched millions because she refused to let the disease define her life, even as&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fb_image_6a52bd1589040.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}