Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78
The last American polio survivor dependent on an iron lung has died, marking the end of a medical era.
- Intelligence Anchor: Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78
- Core Takeaway: The last American polio survivor dependent on an iron lung has died, marking the end of a medical era.
- Signal Velocity: 33 score across 26 independent media sources and 26 indexed articles.
- Forecast Model: Story predicted to decelerate within 24h.
Answered
Who was Martha Lillard?
She was the last known American polio survivor who relied on an iron lung for breathing assistance.
Why was she using an iron lung?
She contracted polio as a child, leaving her dependent on the device—a rare treatment used before the polio vaccine became available.
Are there any other iron lung users left in the U.S.?
Coverage confirms she was the final known survivor using the technology in the country.
Where it stands
Martha Lillard, 78, died in Oklahoma after spending most of her life using an iron lung—a device that assisted breathing for polio patients. Coverage confirms she was the final known U.S. survivor relying on the technology, which became obsolete after the polio vaccine’s widespread adoption in the 1950s.
Major outlets including *STAT*, *The Guardian*, *CNN*, and *AP News* have highlighted her passing, with some noting the iron lung’s breakdown contributed to her death. Local media like *KFOR* and *KOSU* have emphasized her life story and the historical significance of her condition.
No further survivors using iron lungs remain in the U.S., according to reports. Attention may now shift to medical history archives and polio vaccine advocacy efforts.
Synthesized by headlinez.news from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 99d ago.
The reporting (26)
- Obit Martha Lillard Springfield News-Sun · 102d ago
- Martha Lillard, last U.S. polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma STAT · 102d ago
- Last US polio patient using an iron lung to survive dies in Oklahoma The Independent · 102d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma WMTW · 102d ago
- Martha Lillard, last known US polio survivor using iron lung, dies aged 78 The Guardian · 103d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma KCRA · 103d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies The Times of India · 103d ago
- Last American to use an iron lung dies at 78 years old after childhood polio diagnosis Fox News · 103d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos · 103d ago
- Oklahoma woman, the last American in an iron lung, dies at 78 KFOR · 103d ago
- Last U.S. polio patient with an iron lung dies at 78 in Oklahoma NBC News · 103d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma CNN · 103d ago
- Oklahoma woman Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dead at 78 New York Post · 103d ago
- Martha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma AP News · 103d ago
- The remarkable life story behind America’s last iron lung user Cleveland.com · 103d 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 · 103d ago
- Last American in Iron Lung Dies at 78 Newser · 105d ago
- Martha Lillard, last American to use iron lung, dies at 78 WSOC TV · 105d ago
- Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78 KRON4 · 105d 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 · 105d ago
- Martha Lillard, last American to use iron lung, dies at 78 KIRO 7 News Seattle · 106d ago
- The last living woman with an "iron lung" died in the USA Наша Ніва · 106d ago
- Martha Lillard, last American using iron lung, dies in Shawnee KOSU · 106d ago
- Oklahoma woman, the last American in an iron lung, dies at 78 KFOR.com · 106d ago
- Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78 NewsNation · 106d ago
- Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78 KXAN Austin · 106d ago
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