Cindy McVey

Cindy McVey is the sister of Martha Lillard, who recently passed away at the age of 78. Lillard was the last known individual in the United States to be living with polio and relying on an iron lung to breathe. McVey provided a photograph of her sister, Martha Lillard, resting in her iron lung, which was shared with the Associated Press. Lillard contracted polio at the age of five and spent a significant portion of her life dependent on the iron lung machine. Her death, which occurred in Oklahoma, marks the end of an era for polio survivors who required such life-support technology. McVey's connection to Lillard makes her a point of reference in the news coverage surrounding her sister's passing and the historical significance of Lillard's life as the last iron lung user in the US.