June Middleton
Born
June Margaret Middleton

(1926-05-04)4 May 1926
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died30 October 2009(2009-10-30) (aged 83)
Thornbury, Victoria, Australia
Known forFormerly longest time in an iron lung

June Margaret Middleton (4 May 1926 – 30 October 2009) was an Australian polio survivor who spent more than 60 years living in an iron lung for treatment of the disease.[1] In 2006, Guinness World Records recognised her as the person who had spent the longest amount of time living in an iron lung.[1] This record has since been surpassed by American lawyer Paul Alexander.[2]

Biography

Middleton was born in Melbourne on 4 May 1926, the only daughter of Robert and Lucy Middleton. She contracted polio when she was 22,[1] just months before her planned wedding.[3] She entered the iron lung on 5 April 1949, and remained dependent on the machine for the rest of her life.[1] Middleton spent up to 21 hours a day in the iron lung to help her breathe.[4] Her husband-to-be stayed with her for five years before eventually marrying another woman and starting a family.[5]

Middleton lived at Fairfield Hospital in Melbourne for more than 40 years.[3] She was then transferred to Austin Hospital before moving to her own home in Thornbury, which was managed by the Yooralla Ventilator Accommodation Support Service.

A campaigner for the rights of people confined to ventilators,[3] Middleton was also a fan of the Carlton Football Club.[3]

On 5 April 2009, Middleton marked her 60th year in the iron lung[1] with friends and her dog Angel at her side.

She died in Thornbury, Victoria on 29 October 2009, aged 83.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "June Middleton, in iron lung for 60 years, dies". The Australian. Australian Associated Press. 31 October 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  2. ↑ "Longest iron lung patient". Guinness World Records. July 1952. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Robson, Suzanne (4 November 2009). "Iron lung record woman dies". Preston Leader. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  4. ↑ Whinnett, Ellen (31 October 2009). "Iron lung woman dies". Herald Sun. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  5. ↑ "Dead after 60 years in iron lung". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 November 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.