Martha Lillard was diagnosed with polio And survive in an iron lung. She died in Oklahoma on June 26, becoming the last American polio patient to use the machine, her sister said. She is 78 years old.“They told her she shouldn’t live past 20,” Lillard’s sister, Cindy McVey, said Friday. “She had the passion and drive to get on with life and live it to the fullest.”McVeigh attributed her sister’s death to the effects of long-term Covid-19.Lillard slept in an iron lung cylinder that surrounded her body, with the air pressure in the room forcing air in and out of her lungs. As a child, she attended primary school for two hours a day and received tutoring the rest of the time. While attending Shawnee High School, she used a phone system that allowed her to interact with teachers and classmates through intercoms in her classrooms.Her family embarked on a road trip to Missouri thanks to a custom trailer, and her father called the hotel to ask if their door was wide enough to accommodate the machine Lillard slept on. Lillard was even able to drive for a while.Later, the internet helped Lillard stay informed and educated on a variety of topics, including polio, which paralyzed her from the neck down. Through treatment, Lillard regained some use of his left arm and legs.McVay said the Internet also allowed Lillard to meet his future husband from Egypt, and the two communicated online for more than 20 years. Lillard married Baja Sal in February after finally getting a visa to Oklahoma. “They were truly soul mates,” McVeigh said. “He was devastated.”(AFP)
