Last US Polio Patient Dependent on Iron Lung Dies Months After Marriage

Martha Lillard, the last known polio patient in the United States who relied on an iron lung to breathe, passed away at age 78 on June 26 in Oklahoma. She contracted polio at age five and lived with its effects for over seven decades. Lillard married her Egyptian partner, Bahaa Salah, in February 2023 after a 20-year online relationship that began following the 9/11 attacks. Her younger sister, Cindy McCoy, told AP that despite doctors predicting she would not live past 20, Martha was determined to live fully. The death certificate cited chronic respiratory failure and post-polio syndrome as causes, with COVID-19 complications likely contributing to her decline.

The iron lung, a cylindrical metal chamber that assists breathing by changing air pressure, saved thousands of polio patients during major outbreaks, though it was originally intended for temporary use. Lillard described her first experience in the machine as a relief, telling NBC in 2013 that it "changes everything when you can't breathe." Despite paralysis from the neck down, she pursued as much independence as possible, attending school part-time and completing studies with private tutors and remote lessons. Her family adapted travel arrangements to accommodate her iron lung, and she even drove a car for a period.

Lillard regained some movement in her left arm and legs through therapy and lived alone for years, preparing meals, writing poetry, composing music, volunteering for animal causes, and promoting dog adoptions. Her internet use helped her learn about polio and maintain social connections, leading to her long-distance romance with Salah. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, her lung function was below 25 percent; she contracted the virus twice and required near-constant iron lung support in her final two years.

Polio was once a feared disease in the US, causing thousands of paralysis cases annually, mostly in children. The first vaccine was introduced in 1955, drastically reducing cases to under 100 per year by the 1960s and under 10 by the 1970s. The disease was declared eradicated in the US in 1979. Two years ago, Paul Alexander, another long-term iron lung user from Texas, died at 78. Lillard and her sister had recently sought a technician to repair her aging iron lung machines. After her death, McCoy tearfully said, "Since she was the last, we no longer need it."