The Last Iron Lung: Why the Fight Against Polio Isn't Over Yet
"Some stories remind us where we've been. Others remind us where we still need to go."
When news broke of the passing of Martha Lillard, the last known person in the United States to rely on an iron lung, it marked the end of an era—but not the end of a story.
Martha contracted polio as a child before vaccines were widely available. Like thousands of children during the devastating polio epidemics of the 1940s and 1950s, she survived the disease, but survival came at an unimaginable cost. The virus left her unable to breathe on her own, and for decades an iron lung—a massive mechanical ventilator—became her lifeline.
For most of us today, an iron lung is something we've only seen in old photographs or history books.
For Martha, it was home.
A Disease That Stole Childhoods
Before vaccines, polio was one of the world's most feared diseases.
It spread silently, often infecting children who appeared perfectly healthy. For many, it caused only mild symptoms. But for others, it attacked the nervous system, leading to permanent paralysis. Some lost the ability to walk. Others lost the ability to breathe.
Parents lived with constant fear each summer as outbreaks spread through communities. Parks emptied. Swimming pools closed. Families prayed that their children would be spared.
Thousands weren't.
Then Came Hope
Everything changed with the development of the polio vaccine.
For the first time in history, we had the power not just to treat a disease—but to prevent it entirely.
Millions of children were vaccinated.
Hospitals that once cared for wards full of polio patients began to empty.
Iron lungs slowly disappeared.
Entire generations grew up never knowing the fear their grandparents once lived with.
But there was one heartbreaking reality.
The vaccine could protect future children.
It couldn't undo the damage for those who had already contracted polio.
People like Martha would carry its effects for the rest of their lives.
Why Rotary Refused to Stop
By the 1980s, polio had disappeared from many countries, but it was still paralyzing more than 1,000 children every single day around the world.
Rotary International believed that wasn't good enough.
In 1985, Rotary launched one of the largest public health initiatives ever undertaken by a volunteer organization: End Polio Now.
What began as an ambitious dream has become one of the greatest humanitarian achievements in history.
Working alongside partners including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Gavi, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary has helped reduce global polio cases by more than 99.9%.
Today, the world stands closer than ever to eradicating only the second human disease in history after smallpox.
But "Almost" Isn't Enough
Imagine stopping a marathon one kilometre before the finish line.
That's where we are today.
As long as polio exists anywhere, children everywhere remain at risk.
One missed vaccination.
One outbreak.
One community left unprotected.
That's all it takes for this disease to return.
History has already shown us what happens when we let our guard down.
Your $3 Can Change a Life
Sometimes people wonder whether a small donation can really make a difference.
The answer is yes.
Just US$3 can help provide lifesaving polio vaccines to protect a child from a disease that once terrified the world.
Think about that.
For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can help ensure another child never experiences what Martha did.
Never depends on an iron lung.
Never loses the ability to walk.
Never grows up wondering what life could have been.
This Is More Than a Donation
When you support End Polio Now, you're doing more than funding vaccines.
You're protecting childhood.
You're giving parents peace of mind.
You're helping health workers reach children in the world's most vulnerable communities.
You're helping write the final chapter of one of humanity's greatest public health victories.
Let's Make History Together
Martha's story reminds us why this fight matters.
Her life was one of extraordinary resilience, but it also reminds us of a world we never want to return to.
We have something previous generations never had:
The power to end polio forever.
Let's not stop now.
Let's make sure no child ever needs an iron lung again.
Let's make sure future generations only learn about polio in history books.
Together, we can finish what Rotary started.
Donate today. Protect tomorrow. End Polio Now.