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 large metal breathing machine called an iron lung. She used the machine for more than 60 years. Doctors later validated her death. No one in the US now depends on such respirators today. The iron lung, once widely used, is now a rare sight in the United States. Her story stands as 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 moved local medical historians. The community remembered her with a intimate 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.