California model sues Kotex after allegedly losing leg, contracting toxic shock syndrome from tampon
California model Lauren Wasser sues Kotex after allegedly losing her leg from contracting toxic shock syndrome from a tampon.
California model Lauren Wasser sues Kotex after allegedly losing her leg from contracting toxic shock syndrome from a tampon.
A California model is suing Kotex after allegedly losing her leg from contracting toxic shock syndrome from a tampon and being on the brink of death.
Lauren Wasser, 27, a stellar athlete and longtime model, said her life flipped upside down in 2012 when using a Kotex Natural Balance tampon left her "10 minutes from death" and resulted in the amputation of her right leg, Vice reported.
"I wanted to kill myself when I got home," she told the website. "I was this girl-and then all of a sudden I don't have a leg, I'm in a wheelchair, I have half a foot, I can't even walk to the bathroom. I'm in a bed, I can't move, and I felt like those four walls were my prison."
The Santa Monica woman said she changed her tampon three times that day, but felt sick and went to bed. She suffered a massive heart attack, shutting down her organs, according to Vice.
The tampon that was inside of her tested positive for toxic shock syndrome, a serious disease caused by a toxin produced by some types of bacteria that affects body organs.
Less than half of all toxic shock syndrome cases are linked to tampon use, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
"It's the most excruciating pain I've ever. I don't know how to describe it to you," Wasser told Vice.
The 5-foot-11 beauty was put in a medically induced coma as black toxins were flushed out of her bloodstream, Vice reported.
But the infection turned into gangrene, and Wasser overheard a nurse say she would need a below-the-knee amputation.
"I thought, Oh my God, she's talking about me," Wasser said. "I'm going to lose my leg."
Her family filed a massive lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the company which distributes Kotex, as well as the grocery stores Kroger and Ralph's, where she purchased the product.
The defendants are "negligently, wantonly, recklessly, tortuously, and unlawfully responsible in some manner" for what happened to Wasser, the suit claims.
"That product f----d me over," Wasser said.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation said it "does not comment regarding ongoing litigation."

California model Lauren Wasser sues Kotex after allegedly losing her leg from contracting toxic shock syndrome from a tampon.
California model Lauren Wasser sues Kotex after allegedly losing her leg from contracting toxic shock syndrome from a tampon.
A California model is suing Kotex after allegedly losing her leg from contracting toxic shock syndrome from a tampon and being on the brink of death.
Lauren Wasser, 27, a stellar athlete and longtime model, said her life flipped upside down in 2012 when using a Kotex Natural Balance tampon left her "10 minutes from death" and resulted in the amputation of her right leg, Vice reported.
"I wanted to kill myself when I got home," she told the website. "I was this girl-and then all of a sudden I don't have a leg, I'm in a wheelchair, I have half a foot, I can't even walk to the bathroom. I'm in a bed, I can't move, and I felt like those four walls were my prison."
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/4Do_wdDwtU/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">This is kind of amazing...(to me anyway) but I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to post and how to say thank you to all the people who have and are now supporting us...when I realized this fool stole my shorts and has been wearing them since!! But for real the great part of all this tho (even tho she won't give them back!) is that when Lauren & I first started to hang out she was in full sweats and even kept her hoodie up in the heat to hide. This life was all new to her and she wasn't at all ok with herself. It took SO much to get her to this place of freedom..to SHORTS! It's truly unreal how far she's come.No matter what life hands you there's always a transition that has to take place in order to get to the other side and I'm happy to say she's made great progress. There will still be pain and hard days but at least the woman won't be dying of heat anymore. Haha
but for real...THANK YOU we are very grateful for the kind words and support. </a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Camraface + (@fotofetish) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-06-18T04:21:03+00:00">Jun 17, 2015 at 9:21pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote>
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The Santa Monica woman said she changed her tampon three times that day, but felt sick and went to bed. She suffered a massive heart attack, shutting down her organs, according to Vice.
The tampon that was inside of her tested positive for toxic shock syndrome, a serious disease caused by a toxin produced by some types of bacteria that affects body organs.
Less than half of all toxic shock syndrome cases are linked to tampon use, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
"It's the most excruciating pain I've ever. I don't know how to describe it to you," Wasser told Vice.
The 5-foot-11 beauty was put in a medically induced coma as black toxins were flushed out of her bloodstream, Vice reported.
But the infection turned into gangrene, and Wasser overheard a nurse say she would need a below-the-knee amputation.
"I thought, Oh my God, she's talking about me," Wasser said. "I'm going to lose my leg."
Her family filed a massive lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the company which distributes Kotex, as well as the grocery stores Kroger and Ralph's, where she purchased the product.
The defendants are "negligently, wantonly, recklessly, tortuously, and unlawfully responsible in some manner" for what happened to Wasser, the suit claims.
"That product f----d me over," Wasser said.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation said it "does not comment regarding ongoing litigation."
