| Lauren Wasser’s Powerful Journey: How a Tampon Changed Her Life and Sparked a Global Warning |
| The Day Everything Changed Lauren Wasser, a rising model from California, was just 24 years old when her life changed forever. What started as a seemingly ordinary day in 2012 ended with a medical emergency no one could have predicted — and the root cause was something most women use every month: a tampon.Lauren had been experiencing flu-like symptoms and was rushed to the hospital. But it wasn’t the flu. Doctors quickly diagnosed her with menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS) — a rare, life-threatening condition triggered by bacterial toxins, most often linked to prolonged tampon use.A One-Percent Chance of Survival Lauren fell into a coma for over a week. Her body temperature reached 42°C (107.6°F), her organs began shutting down, and she suffered two heart attacks. Doctors gave her a one-percent chance to live. While she survived, the infection caused by the toxins had already spread — and her right leg had to be amputated.A Second Amputation and a Renewed PurposeFor seven years, Lauren rebuilt her life on one prosthetic leg. Then, in a painful twist, she had to undergo the amputation of her left leg as well. The physical and emotional toll was crushing. “I couldn’t even get up, let alone model. I lost sight of who I was. In my darkest moments, I considered suicide,” she admitted. The thought of her younger brother, who might have been the one to find her, kept her alive. That moment of reflection became a turning point. Turning Pain Into PowerWhen Lauren learned that mTSS had been claiming women’s lives for decades, she was stunned — and motivated. She decided to speak out and advocate for menstrual product safety and greater public awareness. “I should still have my legs. No woman should risk her life using a tampon,” she wrote in *InStyle*. Lauren has since become a global activist for safe period products, urging brands and regulators to improve labeling, transparency, and education. |
