Lauren Wasser is a Californian model who lost her right leg in 2012 for one of the most unusual reasons imaginable.
Most of us would never believe a simple hygiene product could trigger a nightmare and change a life forever.
Now, Lauren is determined that no other woman should endure what she went through, and she’s warning the world about the dangers of an everyday product. Lauren Wasser, a Californian model, went to the hospital in 2012 with what seemed like flu symptoms. But she wasn’t suffering from the flu — she had menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS), caused by bacterial toxins.
The source of the infection? A tampon. Using tampons, especially when left in for many hours, can lead to an infection that triggers menstrual toxic shock syndrome.
The mTSS left Lauren in a coma for more than a week, and when she woke up, doctors had to amputate her leg. She was only 24.
Nobody else should go through this
She launched a legal battle against Kotex Natural Balance, the tampon brand she had used.
“I’d been using the same tampons I always had, following the instructions on the box, as all women do. That day, the toxins took over my body and I nearly died. I had a 42‑degree fever, my kidneys and organs began failing, and I had two heart attacks. I had a one‑percent chance of survival,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.
“Considering that the vagina is the most absorbent part of a woman’s body and a gateway to many vital organs, it is crucial that consumers know the reality of what could happen to them,” she wrote in InStyle.
Sadly, seven years after her first diagnosis, Lauren also had to have her other leg amputated.
“My world changed in an instant; I couldn’t even get up, let alone model. I lost sight of who I was and what I wanted from life. In my darkest moments, I considered suicide,” she says.
Found a greater purpose
What ultimately stopped her was the thought of her little brother. He was always the first to come home from school, and she couldn’t bear the idea of him finding her. That single thought kept her alive. Slowly, she began to shift her mindset, choosing to see her struggle as a challenge rather than a defeat.
Later, she learned the devastating truth: mTSS had been taking women’s lives for decades. That realization ignited something in her. She became determined to speak out — not just for herself, but for every woman who had suffered in silence.
She found purpose in being a voice for those who lost their lives, their health, or their futures. “I should still have my legs,” Lauren says. “No woman should have to risk her life just by using a tampon.”
Over time, Lauren learned to accept — and even embrace — her new reality. It didn’t happen overnight; it was a slow, step‑by‑step journey. Inspired by A$AP Rocky’s grills, she had her prosthetic legs cast in gold, seeing them as art rather than limitation. “Why not wear gold jewelry all the time?” she joked.
Today, she lives boldly and unapologetically — running five miles a day, hiking with her dog, doing Pilates, playing basketball, and even starring in a global lingerie campaign. “There’s nothing I can’t do,” she says. “Plus, I don’t need any pedicures.”
“Own who you are”
Wasser knows that forging your own path is never easy, but it matters. She hopes others can see themselves in her story: an ordinary woman who endured something traumatic and came out stronger.
Her message is simple — life will hit hard, but resilience opens the door to endless possibilities. “Own who you are,” she says, “and walk out that door every day with a smile — even if you don’t feel like it. Take control of your life and you’ll inspire others to do the same.”
She credits her faith in God for grounding her, but she also reminds others that it’s okay not to be okay. “Society puts so much pressure on being happy all the time,” she says. “This January, care a little less about what people think.” In a world obsessed with social media validation, she encourages everyone to remember they’re already enough.
This brave woman has all of my respect. Keep fighting with strength and optimism. Lauren continues to advocate not only for herself, but for others — so no one else has to experience what she did.
Please share Lauren’s story so all women are aware of the potential dangers of tampons.
