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Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies
WMTW • • health
Key Points:
- Martha Lillard, the last U.S. polio patient who used an iron lung, died June 26 in Oklahoma at age 78; she was diagnosed with polio at age 5 and lived much longer than doctors initially predicted.
- Lillard's death was attributed to long-haul COVID-19 effects, with her death certificate listing chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome as causes.
- Despite severe paralysis and dependence on the iron lung, Lillard led a remarkable life, attending school via phone intercom, traveling in a custom trailer, and even driving for a time.
- She met her husband, Baha Salh, through online communication after the 9/11 attacks, marrying him in February after he obtained a visa to Oklahoma.
- Lillard was an artistic and compassionate individual who volunteered with the Humane Society and remained engaged with the world through the internet, even composing her own obituary before her death.
