Dianne Odell, a woman who spent almost 60 years of her life in a iron lung, died Wednesday after a power outage shorted her machine.
Odell, 61, had been confined to an iron lung machine since she was stricken by polio at 3 years old.
Family members were unable to get an emergency generator working for the iron lung after a power failure knocked out electricity to the Odell family's residence near Jackson, Tennessee.
Odell was afflicted with bulbo-spinal polio three years before a polio vaccine was discovered and largely stopped the spread of the crippling childhood disease.
Odell spent her life in the iron lung, cared for by her parents and other family members. However, Odell managed to earn a high school diploma, take college courses and write a children's book, similar to the books written by Peg Kehret.
Her spinal deformity did not allow her to use a modern breathing apparatus. It is not known how many polio survivors still use an iron lung machine, but Odell was believed to have used it for longer than most.
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