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Dianne ODell in iron lung

61-year-old Dianne Odell from Jackson, TN, has died after a power failure in the city, about 80 miles northeast of Memphis.

ODell has been in an iron lung for nearly 60 years, after being diagnosed with polio as a child, and is the longest living iron lung survivor.

Family members tried to get the emergency generator working to the 7-foot-long machine. “We did everything we could do but we couldn’t keep her breathing,” said brother-in-law Will Beyer. “Dianne had gotten a lot weaker over the past several months and she just didn’t have the strength to keep going.”

Emergency crews were called to the scene, but were unable to help.

Though confined to the 750-pound machine for most of her life, Dianne was able to get a high school diploma, take college courses and write a children’s book.

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