Martha Lillard, 78, died calmly at home in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on July 10, 2026. She had polio as a child. The disease left her needing a massive metal breathing machine called an iron lung. She used the machine through 60 years. Doctors later verified her death. No one in the US currently depends on such respirators today. The iron lung, once common, is now a rarity in the United States. Her story remains a reminder of the challenges faced by polio survivors. She lived through a long span of change in respiratory care. She remained in the care of devoted family members. Her courage inspired local medical historians. The community remembered her with a quiet gathering. Her life spanned the era from the 20-century polio outbreak to modern vaccine breakthroughs. She outlived numerous of her contemporaries. The iron lung that sustained her has become a showpiece.