Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

Probably the most well known TSS survivor  , LA model Lauren Wasser. Lauren lost both of here legs to TSS only because she used a tampon to handle her bleeding in 2012

“Maddy was a vibrant, beautiful, loving, thoughtful, determined, and kind young woman, full of life who spread happiness wherever she went.” Maddy died at the age of 19, her mother opened a non-profit organization in her memory for educating women about mTSS : Don’t Shock Me 

19 years old Ellie almost died on 24th Nov. 2021 from TSS because she fell asleep with a tampon. The doctor sent her home, saying she only has a flue.

Amy from Columbus Indiana died 3 days after using a tampon. here mother said: “Of course I’d heard of toxic shock syndrome, but it never crossed my mind when she started getting sick. I don’t think anybody thinks about it, but it’s much more common than people know.”

13 years old Jemma from Manchester, England, had begun using tampons as a more convenient way to keep training her swimming while on her period. In 2014 Jemma died from TSS caused by a tampon.

In 2016 then the 15 year old Payton from California almost died from TSS.”I started feeling sick right when I used a tampon – not from having it in longer than you’re supposed to,” she said. “I started feeling really faint and nauseated”

Deborah Usher, a 27-year-old mum-of-one from Porthmadog in Wales, was in a coma for a week in 2011 after suffering from Toxic Shock Syndrome – a rare condition caused by tampons.

Although she survived the ordeal, she was left with severe memory loss – meaning she now forgets things just weeks after they happen.

“SCHOOLGIRL’S SHOCK I was rushed to hospital with no pulse, blind & dying – a TAMPON caused toxic shock syndrome, we thought it was the flu” Becca was 16 in 2015 when she got TSS from her tampon.

Phoebee Bambury a student, 19, who put her severe headache down to ‘exam stress’ is left fighting for life after a TAMPON gave her a deadly infection

“Mother develops life-threatening toxic shock syndrome from using tampon. Zarate’s body went into septic shock, causing her body’s vital organs to shut down. She had to stay in hospital for 11 days, undergoing a blood transfusion to restore her body’s red blood cells and to stop the infection spreading further through her blood stream.”

16 years old Sara Manitoski dead during a school trip from TSS caused by a tampon

A make-up artist nearly died when she developed toxic shock syndrome after switching to organic tampons.

Kristina Makris, 33, woke on January 15 with a pounding headache and feeling like she had ‘been hit by a truck’.

After being sent home from a walk-in clinic with ‘flu’, Ms Makris was rushed to Lahey Hospital, Massachusetts, when she started vomiting bile non-stop for ten minutes.

APRIL 1989. “Not everyone that lost their life or nearly lost their life to tampons, forgot to change or slept in them. I didn’t. And I still nearly died. I did everything right, nearly died and lost my ability to carry my own children” One road trip changed Tallina’s life when she developed TSS. Not because she left her tampon in for too long or forgot to take it out. After changing her tampon every hour she still developed flu-like symptoms, then her organs began to fail and they determined that it was TSS.

“I was 19 at the time, I had 18 IVs, central line, heart cath, oxygen due to partial lung collapse, super low BP, super high heart rate, and super high fever. I went to the ER for flu like symptoms and was diagnosed with strep throat and an allergic reaction (I had the rash too). When I went back to the ER after getting worse, more tests were run and they realized it was TSS. With this year marking 20 years later, I feel even more compelled to spread awareness of TSS.”

“I had it in 1995 after giving birth. I thought I had a bunch of other issues at the same time, not realizing they were related. Luckily, when I went to the doctor, it was a doctor who had attended the birth and he had a hunch. They told me I could go to the hospital or take medicine at home. I said I wanted to go home, but when the tests came back, they told me I needed to go to the hospital right away. This is the sickest I have ever been in my life, worse than when I had cancer.”

“I had flu like symptoms around dinner time and my parents had me go to bed thinking it was just the ick. Next day my dad came home from work to check on me around 930am after not answering the phone and I was unconscious on the stairs with a bad rash, barely breathing, bloody nose, 104 fever. Rushed me to the ER and luckily a nurse had seen TSS before. I spent 11 days in a coma and the family was called in twice. One 3 hour block of time with a borrowed scented tampon (changed it as soon as I got home) and 18 hours of time to spread was all it took! I have two preteen girls and I think I feel more compelled than ever to make sure this doesn’t happen to them.”

Sonia’s life was saved in 2017  from TSS: “My 14 yr old daughter TSS after using a tampon overnight. Her symptoms started with vomiting, diarrhea, chills, and a rash over her torso. I wasn’t happy that the rash was still there after a few hours so I took her to the doctor and said she had to go to the hospital as an emergency. They tried to do a blood test but it was difficult as her blood was thick as she was severely dehydrated. When they did manage to get a blood sample it showed her kidneys were affected and her blood clothing was abnormal. They started aggressive treatment. The doctors at the hospital said my daughter was extremely lucky and if I (her mum) hadn’t listened to my natural instinct then things could have been a lot worse, maybe fatal.”

“My daughter is a TSS survivor, she had it last Spring and thankfully recovered. During her illness I spoke to some experts in the field and they told me something astonishing. Apparently the vast majority of people develop antibodies against TSS by the time they are 12. Only a small percentage of people do not, and are at risk for TSS for the rest of their lives. There is a simple blood test for these antibodies to see if you have them, or not. The test is not available any more at commercial laboratories, but we were able to have it done at a research lab after my daughter recovered and indeed, she is one of the few who lack antibodies and remains at risk.”

Shannon Toner was 15 when she was on vacation visiting family in California and started feeling sick the first morning after the flight. With doctors missing what was really wrong with her, it was her uncle who said “it might be TSS” that got them on the path to diagnose what was really going on with her.