Martha Ann Lillard Cause of Death: Last American to Rely on an 'Iron Lung' Dies at 78

Martha Ann Lillard, the last known American polio patient to rely on an iron lung device, has died at 78, with long haul COVID listed as her official cause of death. She contracted polio at age five in 1953 and spent decades depending on the aging device.

Martha Ann Lillard, believed to be the final polio patient in the United States who depended on an iron lung to stay alive, has passed away at 78. Her death, according to her obituary, was ultimately caused by long haul COVID, a condition that took hold after years of declining health tied to her decades long battle with polio, People reported.

Lillard’s story stretches back to 1953, the year she turned five. She described that day to KFOR just over a week before she died, recalling how she woke up to sunshine outside but immediately felt something was wrong. Her neck ached so badly she couldn’t even lift her head off the pillow. Within four days, her condition had spiralled. She lost consciousness, stopped breathing on her own, and lost the ability to move her arms and legs entirely.

She had contracted polio, a diagnosis that came just two years before a vaccine would arrive and dramatically cut down cases of the disease across the country.

Her first stint in the device lasted six months, during which she spent 23 hours out of every day inside it while her lungs slowly relearned how to function. She recalled feeling exhausted early on, and said climbing into the machine always brought a sense of relief. Over time, as she got stronger and eventually returned home, she needed less time inside it. Her legs regained enough strength for her to walk again, though her right arm never recovered and stayed paralyzed for the rest of her life.

She did try switching to newer, more modern breathing machines over the years, but none of them worked the way the iron lung did for her. She said she tested every alternative available and found that nothing else gave her lungs what they actually needed.

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As her medical needs grew heavier, so did the strain on her aging equipment. Her sister, Cindy McVey, explained to KFOR that certain components of the iron lung dated back to the 1940s and had become nearly impossible to find replacements for. The family did have a spare motor on hand, McVey said, but no one available who knew how to install it if it were ever needed.

By the final stretch of her life, Lillard depended on the iron lung around the clock, needing it every hour of every day just to keep breathing.