"I realized what each of these iron lung users have in common are the aid of generous, mechanically skilled friends and family. And that’s probably the main reason they’ve been able to live long and full lives, despite the hardships and anxieties of depending on aging machinery to survive."

Much thanks to that network of friends and mechanically inclined people. It would be great if we could archive their knowledge. I think it would make great documentary material to follow around these tinkerers.