Dianne Odell, A Story Of Tragedy, Courage And Triumph

Tenn. woman who spent life in iron lung dies at 61 By WOODY BAIRD, Associated Press Writer
Wed May 28, 7:00 PM ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A woman who spent nearly 60 years of her life in an iron lung after being diagnosed with polio as a child died Wednesday after a power failure shut down the machine that kept her breathing, her family said.

Dianne Odell, 61, had been confined to the 7-foot-long 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, about 80 miles northeast of Memphis, brother-in-law Will Beyer said.

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