Lauren Wasser, famously referred to as the ‘girl with the golden legs,’ aims to raise awareness about a rare condition associated with tampon use that resulted in her becoming a double amputee.
Earlier this month, celebrities once again gathered at the renowned Met Gala. Among those present was model Lauren Wasser, who is 38 years old.
Wasser turned heads in a dazzling golden shorts suit designed by Prabal Gurung, with her gold prosthetic legs perfectly complementing her outfit.
The touching tale behind the gold legs
The narrative surrounding her golden legs is both tragic and uplifting. Wasser has been very vocal about the event that led to her leg amputation in 2012.
She shared with InStyle that she initially thought she was just coming down with the flu after using a tampon during her menstrual cycle.
After going to a party that night, her friends reportedly mentioned that she appeared quite unwell and encouraged her to head home.
The next thing she recalls is waking up to her dog barking while police officers were knocking on her front door, having been sent there for a welfare check by her mother.
Later on, she discovered that she had been found unconscious and taken to the hospital due to a dangerously high fever.
“All this harm was caused by a tampon I was using properly,” Wasser later remarked.
The diagnosis was toxic shock syndrome, a rare yet potentially fatal condition. Commonly referred to as TSS, it is a bacterial infection associated with tampon use. Symptoms may include fever, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, and a sudden drop in blood pressure.
Why Lauren Wasser opted for gold prosthetic legs
In 2023, Wasser appeared on The Diary Of a CEO podcast and shared her story in depth.
“I was on my period. It was extremely heavy. I think I must have fainted. They discovered me face down on my bedroom floor. I was just 10 minutes away from death.”
Her feet were turning black, and when she regained consciousness, she learned that her right leg needed to be amputated to save her life. The medical team couldn’t provide her with pain relief, and Wasser felt “every single thing that was done to me.”
Her left leg was amputated in 2018 due to ongoing damage. When she looked at the prosthetics available at that time, she couldn’t envision herself wearing them.
“To move forward, I realized I had to create something that aligned with my identity. I have always had a passion for gold, so I chose to make my legs a piece of jewelry, intentionally crafting something that would captivate people’s attention. The outcome is, in my opinion, something akin to art.”
