Mary McCormack; Polio Victim Who Gave Birth Outside Iron Lung

Mary McCormack, 70, a polio victim who made history when she gave birth to a daughter outside her iron lung in 1948. The mother, who was stricken with polio when she was pregnant, eventually regained enough muscle strength in her lungs to free herself of her respirator, but she could never be far from breathing assistance. Her daughter grew up, married a doctor and had three children. Ms. McCormack attended the softball games of her granddaughter, Chelsea, and the soccer games of her grandson, Nathan. She survived “the last 40 years on her strength of will and personality,” said her physician, Dr. Thomas McGuire. “She literally stayed alive because that’s what she wanted to do.” In Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday.