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Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78

Martha Lillard, the last known American polio survivor reliant on an iron lung, has died in Oklahoma at age 78.

26sources
26articles
33velocity
+0%since first seen
45d agofirst detected

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The brief

Martha Lillard, identified in coverage as the last U.S. polio patient using an iron lung, died at age 78 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She had lived with the effects of a childhood polio diagnosis for decades.

Reporting from outlets including AP News, STAT, The Guardian, and CNN focuses on her status as the final individual in the United States to utilize the iron lung device. Coverage notes that Lillard's death follows reports that her machine had begun to malfunction and faced maintenance challenges.

Future developments regarding the preservation of the historical iron lung technology or specific details concerning the circumstances of Lillard’s passing remain unstated by current sources.

Synthesized by PULSE from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 39d ago.

Quick answers

Who was Martha Lillard?

She was the last known American polio survivor who relied on an iron lung.

Where did she pass away?

Lillard died in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

What issues were reported regarding her iron lung?

Coverage indicates that the machine had begun to break down and had become difficult to repair.

Coverage (26)

Topics

Martha Lillard Polio Iron Lung Oklahoma Public Health

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