Last “iron lung” patient dies in US after 73 years on life support

Martha Lillard, the last known patient to rely on an “iron lung,” has died in the United States at the age of 78, Oklahoma’s News 4 reports.

Lillard contracted polio in 1953 at the age of five, and her life was supported by the mechanical breathing device for 73 years.

Initially, Lillard spent up to 23 hours a day inside the machine. Over time, she used it only while sleeping. However, during the final eight months of her life, she returned to using the “iron lung” around the clock.

The device, which was developed in the mid-20th century, had gradually deteriorated, while finding replacement parts for the aging equipment became increasingly difficult.

After Lillard’s death, she was removed from the chamber, marking the first time in decades that she was at rest outside the “iron lung.”

By Jeyhun Aghazada