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.
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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 85d 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)
- Obit Martha Lillard Springfield News-Sun · 87d ago
- Martha Lillard, last U.S. polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma STAT · 87d ago
- Last US polio patient using an iron lung to survive dies in Oklahoma The Independent · 87d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma WMTW · 88d ago
- Martha Lillard, last known US polio survivor using iron lung, dies aged 78 The Guardian · 89d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma KCRA · 89d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies The Times of India · 89d ago
- Last American to use an iron lung dies at 78 years old after childhood polio diagnosis Fox News · 89d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos · 89d ago
- Oklahoma woman, the last American in an iron lung, dies at 78 KFOR · 89d ago
- Last U.S. polio patient with an iron lung dies at 78 in Oklahoma NBC News · 89d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma CNN · 89d ago
- Oklahoma woman Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dead at 78 New York Post · 89d ago
- The remarkable life story behind America’s last iron lung user Cleveland.com · 89d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma AP News · 89d ago
- Last U.S. Polio Survivor in an Iron Lung Dies After the Machine Began to Break Down and No One Could Repair It Yahoo · 89d ago
- Last American in Iron Lung Dies at 78 Newser · 91d ago
- Martha Lillard, last American to use iron lung, dies at 78 WSOC TV · 91d ago
- Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78 KRON4 · 91d ago
- Last U.S. Polio Survivor in an Iron Lung Dies After the Machine Began to Break Down and No One Could Repair It People.com · 91d ago
- Martha Lillard, last American to use iron lung, dies at 78 KIRO 7 News Seattle · 92d ago
- The last living woman with an "iron lung" died in the USA Наша Ніва · 92d ago
- Martha Lillard, last American using iron lung, dies in Shawnee KOSU · 92d ago
- Oklahoma woman, the last American in an iron lung, dies at 78 KFOR.com · 92d ago
- Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78 NewsNation · 92d ago
- Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78 KXAN Austin · 92d ago
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