Martha Lillard, 78, died peacefully at home in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on July 10, 2026. She had polio since her youth. The disease left her needing a large metal breathing machine called an iron lung. She used the machine through 60 years. Doctors later validated her death. No one in the US still depends on such respirators today. The iron lung, once widely used, is now a rarity in the United States. Her story remains a reminder of the challenges faced by polio survivors. She lived through many years of change in respiratory care. She remained in the care of loving family members. Her courage encouraged local medical historians. The community remembered her with a intimate gathering. Her life spanned the era from the polio crisis to modern vaccine breakthroughs. She outlived numerous of her contemporaries. The iron lung that sustained her has become a museum piece.