Her legs are amputated after using a common household product!

Lauren Wasser was a rising California model when an ordinary day in 2012 nearly cost her everything. At just twenty‑four, she developed flu‑like symptoms that quickly spiraled into a life‑threatening crisis. Rushed to the hospital, Lauren was diagnosed with menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS), a rare but deadly condition linked to bacterial toxins and tampon use. Her temperature soared to 107.6°F, her organs began to fail, and she suffered two heart attacks. Doctors gave her a one‑percent chance of survival.

Miraculously, Lauren pulled through—but not without a brutal price. The infection had ravaged her right leg, and surgeons made the heartbreaking decision to amputate below the knee. For seven years she navigated life on one prosthetic, rebuilding her strength and identity piece by piece. Then came the grim realization that the left leg, too, had to go. In her darkest hours, Lauren admits, “I couldn’t even get out of bed. I thought I might end my life.” It was the thought of her younger brother—the person who might find her—that anchored her to hope.

Confronting her own mortality ignited a fierce determination. Learning that mTSS had silently claimed women’s lives for decades, Lauren refused to stay silent. She launched a legal battle against the tampon manufacturer and dedicated herself to raising awareness about menstrual product safety. “No woman should risk her life using a tampon,” she declared, challenging brands and regulators to improve labels, transparency, and education.

Today, Lauren has transformed pain into power. She outfitted her prosthetic limbs in gleaming gold—a bold statement of resilience and self‑expression. She runs five miles a day, hikes with her dog, plays basketball, and even fronted a global lingerie campaign. Her confidence is infectious: “There’s nothing I can’t do,” she laughs. “And I don’t need pedicures anymore!”

Through it all, Lauren’s message is simple: “Life will punch you in the face, but it’s what you do next that counts. Own who you are, walk out that door with a smile—even when it hurts.” Candid about the roller‑coaster of recovery, she reminds others that healing isn’t linear and that it’s okay not to be okay. In an age of flawless social‑media images, she urges women to focus inward: “You’re enough just by being here.”

From hospital beds to fashion runways, Lauren Wasser’s journey stands as a testament to human strength and the power of advocacy. By shining a light on mTSS, she hopes no other woman will suffer in silence. Her story is not one of tragedy alone, but of a woman who turned her darkest moment into a beacon of hope for millions.