Lauren Wasser, a California-based model, experienced a life-altering medical emergency in 2012 that began with what she thought was the flu. At just 24 years old, she would soon discover that her symptoms were actually caused by menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS)—a rare but serious bacterial infection linked to tampon use.
What followed was a nightmare that most of us could never imagine: a week-long coma, two heart attacks, organ failure, and ultimately the amputation of her right leg. Years later, she would lose her other leg to the same condition.
## A Routine Product, A Catastrophic Outcome
"I'd been using the same product of tampons that I always had, following the instructions on the box, as all women do," Wasser told Harper's Bazaar. "That particular day, the toxins took over my body and I nearly died. I had a 42-degree Celsius fever, my kidneys and organs began failing, and I had two heart attacks. I had a one-percent chance of survival."
The infection spread rapidly through her body, forcing doctors to amputate her right leg to save her life. The tampon brand she had used was Kotex Natural Balance, and Wasser launched a legal battle against the company, determined to hold them accountable.
"Considering that the vagina is the most absorbent part of a woman's body and is a gateway to many of our vital organs, it is crucial that consumers know the reality of what could happen to them," she wrote in InStyle magazine.
## Fighting Through Darkness
The years following her amputation were devastating. "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 admitted.
What kept her going was the thought of her younger brother. She couldn't bear the idea of him coming home from school and being the one to find her. That single thought became her anchor, helping her slowly reframe her struggle as a challenge rather than a defeat.
Then came another blow. Seven years after her initial diagnosis, complications forced doctors to amputate her other leg as well.
## Turning Pain Into Purpose
Learning that mTSS had been affecting women for decades without enough public awareness ignited something in Wasser. She became determined to speak out—not just for herself, but for all the women who had suffered silently before her.
Slowly, she began to embrace her new reality. Inspired by A$AP Rocky's gold grills, she had her prosthetic legs cast in gold, transforming them from medical devices into works of art. "Why not wear gold jewelry all the time?" she thought.
Today, Lauren Wasser lives fully and unapologetically. She runs five miles daily, hikes with her dog, practices Pilates, plays basketball, and has even starred in a global lingerie campaign. "There's nothing I can't do," she says with a smile. "Plus, I don't need any pedicures."
## A Message of Resilience
Wasser knows that forging your own path is never easy, but she believes it matters deeply. She hopes others can see themselves in her journey—an ordinary woman who endured something extraordinary and emerged stronger on the other side.
Her message is simple but powerful: life will throw punches, but resilience opens the door to endless possibilities. "Own who you are," she urges, "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."
Today, Lauren continues to fight not only for her own survival but for awareness and change, determined that no one else should have to endure what she did.
