When California model Lauren Wasser woke up in a hospital bed in 2012, she had no idea her life had just changed forever. At just 24 years old, Lauren had entered the hospital with what she thought were flu symptoms—fever, chills, and overwhelming fatigue. Within hours, her body was in full-blown shutdown. By the time she came out of a week-long coma, her right leg had been amputated. The cause? A common hygiene product used by millions of women every day: a tampon.
Lauren had fallen victim to menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS), a rare but potentially deadly bacterial infection linked to tampon use, particularly when worn for extended periods. Despite following the product’s instructions, she suffered a reaction so severe it nearly killed her. Her temperature soared to 42 degrees Celsius, her kidneys and organs began to fail, and she went into cardiac arrest—twice.
“I had a one-percent chance of survival,” she later told Harper’s Bazaar. But Lauren pulled through—barely. And although her recovery was long and harrowing, the nightmare didn’t end there. Seven years after her first brush with death, the damage from the bacteria forced her to undergo amputation of her other leg as well.
But this is not just a story of tragedy. It’s also a story of transformation, advocacy, and extraordinary resilience.
Lauren didn’t quietly accept what had happened to her. Instead, she launched a powerful legal battle against the tampon manufacturer, Kotex Natural Balance, determined to hold someone accountable—and to warn other women of the risks they may not even know they’re taking.
“I’d been using the same tampons I always had, and I followed the instructions. That day, the toxins took over my body, and I nearly died,” Lauren explained in interviews. “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.”
At her lowest, Lauren considered ending her life. “My world changed in an instant. I couldn’t even get up, let alone model,” she said. “I lost sight of who I was.” What stopped her was the thought of her younger brother, who would be the one to find her. That single thought became her lifeline. It gave her just enough strength to choose survival over surrender.
As she recovered physically, Lauren began to reclaim her identity in unexpected ways. Inspired by hip-hop artist A$AP Rocky’s signature gold grills, she commissioned custom gold prosthetic legs—turning her physical scars into symbols of power and artistry. “Why not wear gold jewelry all the time?” she laughed.
Today, Lauren Wasser is not only walking again—she’s running. She jogs five miles daily, hikes with her dog, does Pilates, plays basketball, and has even returned to modeling, becoming the face of a global lingerie campaign. “There’s nothing I can’t do,” she says. “Plus, I don’t need any pedicures.”
But perhaps Lauren’s most important role is that of an advocate. She is now a vocal campaigner for menstrual health reform, pushing for transparency in product labeling and more education about toxic shock syndrome. Her message is blunt and unwavering: “I should still have my legs. No woman should have to risk her life just by using a tampon.”
Her words have reached women across the globe—some of whom have shared their own harrowing experiences with mTSS, many of whom had never heard of it before Lauren’s story went public.
Lauren’s strength, she says, is rooted in her faith and a growing understanding that it’s okay not to be okay. “Society puts so much pressure on being happy all the time,” she told InStyle. “This January, care a little less about what people think. You’re already enough.”
Her advice for anyone facing darkness? “Own who you are, 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.”
From the brink of death to the cover of fashion magazines, Lauren Wasser’s story is a stunning reminder of how pain can be transformed into purpose—and how one woman’s courage can spark change far beyond her own survival.
Please share Lauren’s story. Every woman deserves to know the risks.
