A woman who relied on an iron lung due to a childhood diagnosis of polio has passed away. Martha Lillard was 78 years old when she died in Oklahoma. She had been using the iron lung since she was five years old.

Lillard's sister reported that she was not expected to live past 20 years old, but she defied expectations. The cause of death is attributed to chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome, with her sister also citing the effects of long-haul COVID-19.

Further details about Martha Lillard's life and passing are available from the source.