Martha Lillard, the last American citizen utilizing an iron lung for respiratory support following a childhood polio diagnosis, died on June 26 in Oklahoma at age 78.

Martha Lillard 是最後一位因童年確診小兒麻痺而使用「鐵肺」維持呼吸支持的美國公民，她於 6 月 26 日在奧克拉荷馬州去世，享年 78 歲。

The subject's medical history commenced at age five with the contraction of poliomyelitis, resulting in paralysis from the neck down. This necessitated the use of a negative-pressure ventilator, which facilitated pulmonary function by modulating atmospheric pressure within a cylindrical chamber. Despite a clinical prognosis suggesting a life expectancy not exceeding twenty years, the subject achieved significant milestones through adaptive measures. Educational attainment was facilitated via a hybrid model of limited classroom attendance and comprehensive tutoring, supplemented by an intercom system for remote academic engagement. Mobility was further enabled by familial logistical coordination, involving custom transport and the verification of architectural accessibility at lodging facilities.

該對象在五歲時感染小兒麻痺，導致頸部以下癱瘓。這使得她必須使用負壓呼吸器，透過調節圓筒室內的大氣壓力來協助肺功能。儘管臨床預後顯示其預期壽命不超過二十年，但該對象透過適應性措施達成了重要里程碑。其教育達成是透過一種混合模式，包括有限度的課堂出席與全面的家教輔導，並輔以對講系統進行遠端學術參與。

Subsequent therapeutic interventions permitted a partial restoration of motor function in the left upper extremity and lower limbs, which briefly enabled the subject to operate a motor vehicle. In later years, digital communication facilitated a two-decade correspondence with an Egyptian national, culminating in a marriage in February of the current year following the issuance of a visa.

此外，在家庭物流協調下，包括使用客製化交通工具以及核實住宿設施的建築無障礙環境，使其能夠移動。隨後的治療干預使其左上肢與下肢恢復了部分運動功能，短時間內甚至能駕駛汽車。

From an epidemiological perspective, the subject's condition reflects a historical era prior to the 1955 introduction of the polio vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that widespread immunization led to a precipitous decline in cases, with the disease declared eliminated within the U.S. by 1979. The subject's death follows that of Paul Alexander, another prominent long-term iron lung patient, who died two years prior.

在晚年，數位通訊促成了她與一名埃及國民長達二十年的通信，並在今年二月對方取得簽證後結婚。從流行病學角度來看，該對象的情況反映了 1955 年小兒麻痺疫苗推出之前的歷史時代。美國疾病控制與預防中心指出，廣泛的疫苗接種導致病例驟減，美國於 1979 年宣布該疾病已消滅。該對象的去世繼於另一位著名的長期鐵肺患者 Paul Alexander 之後，後者於兩年前去世。

The death of Martha Lillard marks the conclusion of the era of iron lung dependency in the United States.

Martha Lillard 的去世，標誌著美國依賴鐵肺時代的結束。