Martha Ann Lillard, believed to be the last person in the United States to rely on an iron lung, has passed away at the age of 78 after spending more than seven decades living with the effects of polio.
Her story touched millions because she refused to let the disease define her life, even as her decades-old breathing machine became harder to repair.
Following the news of her passing, many people reflected on her resilience, with one commenter writing, “I can’t imagine how it would feel to be in one of those. Glad she was able to get out and live with a bit of independence without it for a while every day. May she RIP.”
