Lauren Wasser is a model and activist who has overcome incredible odds to become a prominent figure in the fashion industry. In 2012, Wasser lost both legs due to toxic shock syndrome (TSS) caused by a tampon. Despite this devastating setback, Wasser refused to let it define her. She has since become a vocal advocate for women’s health and safety, using her platform to raise awareness about the dangers of TSS and the need for better menstrual product regulation.
Lauren Wasser grew up in a family of models.
Lauren Wasser was born into the fashion industry in California on March 2, 1988. Her parents were both professional models, and she first appeared in Vogue alongside her mom when she was just 4 months old. Unsurprisingly, the young girl would be drawn to this career path.
She lived a full and active life until she became ill.
Lauren Wasser was a talented basketball player who even received a prestigious athletic scholarship. However, she decided to pursue her modeling career instead. Even so, she maintained an active lifestyle for several years.
Her world was turned upside down at the young age of 24.
AtThe Diary of a CEOpodcast, Lauren Wasser, age 35, shockingly revealed her harrowing experience by saying, “I lost both of my legs because of a tampon.”
The syndrome results from an overgrowth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in the body, which can produce a deadly toxin in the bloodstream. TSS first caught public attention in the United States in the late 1970s when several young women became gravely ill. By the 1980s, the syndrome was infecting people at a rate of approximately 6 in 100,000.
It all started with flu-like symptoms, followed by renal failure and, ultimately, two heart attacks, all due to the rare and life-threatening syndrome. With a slim chance of surviving, doctors had to put Wasser into a medically-induced coma to save her life.
After regaining consciousness a week and a half later, Lauren Wasser shared in a poignant interview, “I woke up a week and a half later and had no idea what had even happened. They pumped me full of 80 pounds of fluid.” Tragically, her situation worsened as gangrene spread, causing her right leg and left foot to be engulfed in searing pain. “From there, my feet were on fire, and gangrene set into my right leg and my left foot. There was no option. I had to amputate my right leg.” Then, in 2018, she faced another heartbreaking setback as her left leg had to be amputated.
Lauren Wasser advocates for TSS awareness and safer menstrual products.
As she spoke out about the dangers of TSS, Lauren Wasser emphasized the harmful constituents of tampons, stating, “[They] are made using chlorine bleach, dioxin, and synthetic fibers, which create the perfect storm in our bodies.”
“I have been working with a mother who lost her teenage daughter to TSS when she was 18 — Madeline Mosby. Through the darkness and trauma of that, we have joined forces in wanting to change the world.”
She returned to modeling and became the “girl with the golden legs.”
“My whole job has been to show that you are enough, and you’re beautiful in the skin you’re in and highlighting your scars and the things that you hate most.” With this resolution in mind, Lauren Wasser decided to return to the modeling industry and started looking for gigs again. While many of her colleagues supported her decision to return to modeling, some doubted whether she could make a successful comeback.
Wasser decided to choose gold-toned prosthetics instead of prosthetics that matched her skin color after entirely accepting her new condition. “Making it my own and giving it life, so to speak, changed my perception,” she said, explaining her choice in an interview. Thus, she became the “girl with the golden legs” and started walking for famous designers again.
Currently, she’s still taking the fashion world by storm and fighting for more inclusivity.
Following the amputation of her left leg due to chronic pain, the model is now able to lead a more active lifestyle. She has resumed playing basketball, which is her passion and is even preparing for a marathon shortly. Additionally, Wasser’s modeling career is flourishing as she walked for Gabriela Hearst and Louis Vuitton in 2022 and was featured in Lacoste, Furla, and Shiseido campaigns.
In addition to her thriving modeling career, Wasser remains dedicated to advocating for inclusivity and acceptance of individuals with disabilities and diverse conditions within the fashion industry. Her activism and contributions to the fashion world have earned her a spot on Harper’s Bazaar’s special-edition Women of the Year 2022 covers, alongside other inspiring women.” I’ve worked so hard to be myself and never take ‘no’ for an answer,” is how Lauren Wasser sums up her success.
Lauren Wasser’s incredible journey from tragedy to triumph is just the beginning of a new era in modeling. Stay tuned to learn about 16 more unusual models who are revolutionizing the beauty industry.
Preview photo credit theimpossiblemuse / Instagram, theimpossiblemuse / Instagram
Michael J. Fox’s Twin Daughter Has a ‘Picture Perfect’ Wedding on Her Mom’s Birthday – See the Stunning Photos!
Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan’s 29-year-old daughter, Schuyler, found a special way to celebrate her mom’s 64th birthday.
On June 22, Schuyler had a beautiful wedding in the Catskills, and it just happened to be on the same day as her mom’s birthday. Schuyler, who is the twin sister of Aquinnah, was the bride in a storybook wedding.
Here’s more about Schuyler’s wedding and the sweet birthday message Michael J. Fox shared for his wife of 36 years.
Michael J. Fox, 63, and Tracy Pollan, 64, first met almost 40 years ago when they were cast as lovers on the popular TV show *Family Ties*.
Tracy Pollan remembers Michael as “very cocky” and “funny,” but she also says he had a lot of confidence back then.
At the time, Michael J. Fox was dating Nancy McKeon, the star of *The Facts of Life*, while Tracy Pollan was dating Kevin Bacon. Kevin Bacon and Tracy broke up in 1987, and he later started dating Kyra Sedgwick.
Despite these past relationships, Michael and Tracy’s on-screen romance blossomed into real love, leading to their 36-year marriage and a happy family.
Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan reconnected on the set of the 1988 film *Bright Lights, Big City*. Both were single at the time, so they took the chance and got married later that same year.
“It sounds really horrible, but it was one of those things,” Fox told People in 1989. He joked about their situation, saying, “Someone goes, ‘Did you hear that so-and-so aren’t together anymore?’ And you go, ‘Hmm, that’s too bad. Where’s the phone?’”
Just after their wedding, Michael and Tracy became parents for the first time when their son, Sam Michael, was born on May 30, 1989.
Only two years later, Michael was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Tracy stood by him through it all, offering her unconditional love and support.
In early November 2023, Michael J. Fox appeared on CBS Mornings and talked about how his loving wife, Tracy Pollan, has been his biggest supporter for the past 35 years.
Fox shared that dealing with his Parkinson’s disease was tough because he knew it would get worse, but he didn’t know how quickly or what to expect. “The hardest part of my diagnosis was grappling with the certainty of the diagnosis and the uncertainty of the situation,” Fox said. “My wife made it clear that she was with me for the duration.”
Despite the challenges, Michael and Tracy grew their family. They welcomed twins, Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances, on February 15, 1995, and their daughter Esmé Annabelle was born in November 2001.
Fox gives this parenting advice to other parents: “Always be available to your kids. If you say, ‘Give me five minutes, give me ten minutes,’ it will turn into fifteen, then twenty. By then, they might not be as excited about sharing what they wanted to tell you.”
Now that their children are grown up and moved out, Michael and Tracy are enjoying life as empty nesters. Michael jokes, “We get more food because they’re not here to eat it all!”
Their children are also starting their own families. On June 24, People magazine reported that Schuyler, 29, married her long-time partner on June 22 in a beautiful wedding at Hayfield Catskills in New York.
“The weather was absolutely perfect, despite the heat wave,” a source told People. “They dined under a tent, and it really looked like a picture-perfect garden party. They seemed like such an adorable, gentle family.”
Michael shared a photo of the family on a trail in North Dakota from July 12, 2015, and it shows them enjoying time together.
Recently, political commentator George Stephanopoulos and his comedian girlfriend Ali Wentworth, along with Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey, attended a special event. The celebration was for Schuyler’s wedding and Tracy Pollan’s 64th birthday.
Guests stayed at two beautiful places: the rustic Bluebird Hunter Lodge and the stylish Scribner’s Catskill Lodge. Scribner’s Catskill Lodge has also welcomed famous guests like Olivia Wilde and Rami Malek, known for playing Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
Even though Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan haven’t talked much about Schuyler’s wedding in public, and their daughters usually stay out of the spotlight, their son Sam did share a sweet birthday message for his mom.
Sam, now 35, posted a photo of Tracy dancing with one of the twins. He wrote, “Happy birthday Teep!! I love you so much and I’m very excited that I actually get to spend the day with you!! ([Schuyler] don’t worry, your post is coming later).”
Michael J. Fox also shared a loving birthday message for Tracy on Instagram. He wrote, “In every beautiful way, it’s beautiful Tracy’s beautiful day. I love you and today will be magnificent.” He added a black-and-white photo of Tracy and signed it, “Always forever your Mike with so-much love. Happy birthday. It’s gonna be an epic day.”
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