Martha Lillard, Final American Polio Patient Using an Iron Lung, Dies in Oklahoma

By Associated Press · STAT News · 2026-07-13

STAT News reports that Martha Lillard, the last person in the United States reliant on a negative-pressure ventilator for polio recovery, died late last month at age 78. Diagnosed as a child in the pre-vaccine era, she managed to outlive her initial terminal prognosis by nearly s

STAT News reports that Martha Lillard, the last person in the United States reliant on a negative-pressure ventilator for polio recovery, died late last month at age 78. Diagnosed as a child in the pre-vaccine era, she managed to outlive her initial terminal prognosis by nearly s