Lauren Wasser, a Californian model, lost her right leg in 2012 after developing menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS), caused by toxins from a tampon. What she thought were flu symptoms quickly turned life-threatening — she fell into a coma, suffered organ failure, two heart attacks, and doctors were forced to amputate her leg at only 24. Seven years later, she lost her other leg as well.
Lauren launched a legal battle against the tampon brand and has since dedicated her life to warning women about the hidden dangers of mTSS. “I should still have my legs,” she says. “No woman should have to risk her life by using a tampon.”
Her darkest moments left her considering suicide, but the thought of her younger brother kept her fighting. Learning that mTSS had affected women for decades gave her a greater purpose — to speak up for those who couldn’t.
Today, Lauren has transformed her pain into power. Known as “The Girl With the Golden Legs,” she turned her prosthetics into art, models worldwide, runs, hikes, and lives boldly. Her message is simple: Own who you are. Resilience can turn tragedy into strength. She reminds others to worry less about judgment — “You are already enough.”