Martha Lillard lived 58 years beyond early prognosis
Martha Lillard had just turned 5 when she was diagnosed with polio. She was told she was not expected to live past 20, her sister said. Lillard died June 26 at age 78.
McVey said she believes long-haul COVID-19 caused her sister’s death. The death certificate lists chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome as causes, McVey told The Associated Press.
Lillard slept each night inside the iron lung’s cylindrical chamber. The machine used air pressure changes to force air into and out of her lungs.
During childhood, Lillard attended grade school for two hours each day and received tutoring for the remainder of the day. She attended Shawnee High School through a phone-based system that let her hear teachers and classmates via an intercom in her classrooms.
McVey said her family adapted their lives to accommodate the iron lung. They took road trips to Missouri using a custom trailer, and her father called ahead to hotels to confirm they had doors wide enough to move the machine inside. For a period, Lillard was able to drive.
Lillard’s death leaves no remaining polio patient in the United States who relied on the iron lung to breathe.