She Thought It Was the Flu. Days Later, She Lost Her Legs—Now Lauren Wasser Is Fighting to Protect Millions of Women
Lauren Wasser was just 24—young, healthy, rising fast in the modeling world—when her life took a shocking, irreversible turn.
What began as an ordinary day in 2012 ended in a hospital room, her body fighting to survive and her future forever altered. The cause? A product millions of women trust every month: a tampon.
It started subtly—flu-like symptoms, fatigue, a fever. Nothing that would raise immediate red flags. But within hours, Lauren’s condition spiraled. Her temperature soared to a staggering 107°F (42°C). Organs began shutting down.
She suffered two heart attacks. By the time doctors connected the dots, it was nearly too late. The diagnosis: menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS), a rare but deadly reaction triggered by toxins released from bacteria—made worse by a super-absorbent tampon.
Lauren slipped into a coma. When she woke up, part of her was gone. To save her life, surgeons had amputated her right leg below the knee.
“I followed the rules,” she later said. “I did what we’re all taught to do.” But the unspoken danger lurking in a basic hygiene product had robbed her of more than just a limb—it threatened to steal her future.
Seven years later, complications from the infection forced Lauren to undergo a second amputation, this time losing her left leg as well.
The emotional toll nearly broke her. “There were moments I wanted to give up,” she confessed. “But then I thought of my little brother. I couldn’t let him find me like that.”
That moment of clarity became her turning point.
Instead of fading from the spotlight, Lauren stepped into it. She launched a public battle not just against the product that changed her life, but against a system that kept millions in the dark. She sued the tampon manufacturer and began demanding transparency, education, and safer alternatives for period care.
“The vagina is one of the most absorbent parts of the body. We have a right to know what we’re putting in it,” she said.
Lauren didn’t just rebuild her life—she redefined it. With custom gold prosthetic legs and a fierce attitude, she returned to modeling, starred in major campaigns, and proved there’s no box she can’t break out of.
She hikes, runs five miles a day, plays basketball, and models lingerie—on her terms. “Why not shine?” she said of her golden legs. “No pedicures required.”
Her body may have changed, but her mission never wavered: to protect others.
Lauren’s advocacy has become a beacon for women’s health reform. She travels the world sharing her story, calling for better labeling on period products, and urging women to trust their instincts and demand safer options.
“I should still have my legs,” she says without bitterness, only truth. “No one should have to lose their body to manage a period.”
Her message is bold, clear, and deeply needed: You are enough. Own your body. Question the norm. And never let anyone make you feel small for telling your story.
Lauren Wasser turned her pain into power—and her voice into a revolution. She’s not just surviving. She’s leading. And she’s reminding all of us that the fight for women’s health isn’t over.
Not until every woman is informed, empowered, and safe.
