Last Iron Lung Survivor In America Dies At 78 In Oklahoma

Last Iron Lung Survivor In America Dies At 78 In Oklahoma

The story of Martha Ann Lillard, believed to be the last person in America to depend on an iron lung, has come to an end. Lillard, a 78-year-old Shawnee resident, died in late June after spending more than seven decades relying on the life-saving machine that kept her breathing following a childhood battle with polio. Her remarkable life stands as a powerful reminder of the devastation once caused by the disease—and the lifesaving impact of vaccines.

Lillard died just eight days after sharing her story with KFOR News 4, where she spoke candidly about the challenges of living with polio, the iron lung that sustained her life, and the repairs she desperately needed to keep the aging machine operating.

Last Iron Lung Survivor In America Lived With Polio For More Than 70 Years

The last iron lung survivor in America contracted polio on her fifth birthday in 1953, two years before the polio vaccine became widely available in the United States.

She recalled waking up with severe neck pain before quickly becoming paralyzed.

Within days, she could no longer breathe on her own.

Doctors placed her inside an iron lung, a large mechanical respirator that used changes in air pressure to help patients breathe when their respiratory muscles could no longer function.

Lillard spent six months in the hospital before returning home to Shawnee, where the iron lung remained part of her daily life.

Over time, she taught herself to walk again, although her right arm remained permanently paralyzed. Eventually, she only needed the iron lung while sleeping, allowing her to build an independent life despite her physical limitations.

Additional information about the history of polio and vaccination is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

She Built A Full Life Despite Extraordinary Challenges

Although the last iron lung survivor in America lived with permanent disabilities, family members said she refused to let them define her.

Lillard became an artist, wrote poetry, rescued animals, and developed lasting friendships around the world. She married twice, meeting her husband, Baha Seleh, online before he moved from Egypt to Oklahoma. The couple married earlier this year.

For decades, she lived largely on her own, using a portable ventilator during the day and climbing into the iron lung each night to give her remaining lung time to rest.

Her health declined after contracting COVID-19 twice, followed by shingles and complications from long COVID, leaving her once again dependent on the iron lung around the clock.

Her family also faced growing challenges maintaining the aging machine, whose replacement parts dated back to the 1940s. During a tornado-related power outage last year, her generator failed, forcing her husband to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until emergency help arrived.

More about respiratory support technologies is available through the National Institutes of Health.

A Life That Preserved An Important Chapter Of American History

The passing of the last iron lung survivor in America marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in medical history.

Before the polio vaccine was introduced in 1955, outbreaks of the disease terrified families across the country. Tens of thousands of Americans became infected each year, with many suffering paralysis or requiring iron lungs to survive.

By 1979, polio had been eliminated in the United States through widespread childhood immunization, making machines like Lillard's largely obsolete.

Yet for Martha Lillard, the iron lung remained a constant companion for more than 73 years.

Her story became one of resilience, determination, and hope—a testament to both the cruelty of infectious disease and the medical advances that transformed public health for future generations.

Lillard leaves behind her husband, Baha Seleh, her sister, Cindy McVey, and countless people inspired by her strength and perseverance. Her family has established a GoFundMe to assist with funeral expenses following her passing.

KFOR News 4 first shared Martha Lillard's story and final interview, preserving the legacy of a woman whose life helped ensure one of America's darkest public health chapters will never be forgotten. (story rewritten for SEO)

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