Woman who has used iron lung for over 65 years recalls horrifying moment she was trapped in machine

One of the last people to still use an iron lung medical device in the United States has revealed the horrifying moment where she was left 'trapped' inside the machine, striking fear into those even without claustrophobia.

Iron lungs – much like polio for the most part – are a relic of the past when the highly-infectious disease still ravaged thousands each year across the United States, but thankfully modern medicine and, more importantly, vaccines have effectively eradicated its existence.

There are still many people who suffer from the lifelong condition though, with many relying on a device informally referred to an an 'iron lung' to survive.

However, the use of this device has been significantly reduced across the nation as either people have passed away or sought out other options to help them deal with the disease, yet there does remain one person who continues to benefit from the assistance of the machine.

Iron lung machines were used to assist breathing for people with polio, although few remain in active use across the world (H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images)

77-year-old Martha Lillard first contracted polio when she was just five-years-old after catching it shortly after her birthday, and after a several-month-long stay at the hospital she was hooked up to an iron lung to help with her breathing.

Iron lungs work by using a method of artificial respiration known as External Pressure Ventilation (ENPV), and Martha relies on it when she's sleeping as other forms of assistance don't work as well according to her own experience.

However, iron lung devices aren't covered by insurance these days, nor are they serviced by manufacturers, and it left her in a frightening situation after an ice storm hit her native state of Oklahoma.

Martha Lillard was left trapped in her iron lung after a storm wiped out the emergency power (Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

Speaking to the podcast Radio Diaries, Lillard recalled the moment that she was stuck in the iron lung machine after her emergency generation failed, leaving her trapped in the device with no heat or means of getting out.

She also couldn't call for any help or phone the emergency services as the cell towers were down, leaving her to wonder if she was ever going to be able to escape.

"It's like being buried alive almost, you know, it's so scary," she recalled. "I was having trouble breathing. And I remember saying out loud to myself, 'I'm not going to die'."

Pretty much anyone would react in the same way if they were plunged into a similar situation, but thankfully she eventually managed to obtain signal on her phone and call for help, with emergency workers getting the generator up and running which allowed her to finally exit the machine.