CHANGE AWARENESS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE CLASSIC DESKS OF BEAUTY.
DEFINITION’S BEAUTY.
DEFINITION’S BEAUTY. >> I’M MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN I’VE
EVER BEEN BECAUSE I’VE
EXPERIENCED SO MANY DIFFERENT
THINGS AND CAN RELATE TO SO MANY
DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE. >> LAUREN WAS BORN TO THE IN
FRONT OF CAMERAS POSING
ALONGSIDE HER MODEL PARENTS.
HER OWN CAREER WAS BEGINNING TO
TAKE OFF AS SHE ENTERED HER 20s.
>> FUN.
>> FUN. I LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, BE A
CHAMELEON AND TRANSFORM, BECOME
SOMETHING ELSE.
SOMETHING ELSE. >> Reporter: BUT IN 2012 HER
LIFE CAME CRASHING DOWN WHEN SHE
CONTRACTED TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME.
A RARE BUT LIFE-THREATENING
COMPLICATION CAUSED BY CERTAIN
TYPES OF BACTERIAL INEKZ IFS AND
COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH TAMPON
USE I. JUST REMEMBER BEING IN SO
MUCH PAIN AND MY FEET WERE JUST
BURNING.
BURNING. >> Reporter: DOCTORS HAD TO
AMPUTATE HER RIGHT LEG AND TOES
ON HER LEFT FOOT TO SAVE HER
LIFE.
LIFE. >> SITTING IN A LITTLE CHAIR,
HALF A LEG AND MY FOOT AND JUST
LIKE, THIS IS NOT REAL.
THIS IS NOT MY LIFE.
IT WAS EMBARRASSING.
I WAS ASHAMED WHO I WAS AND WHAT
HAPPENED AND THE WHOLE IDENTITY,
TAKEN FROM ME.
>> Reporter: THEN LAST YEAR
AFTER COMPLICATIONS, HER LEFT
LEG ALSO HAD TO BE AMPUTATED.
BUT SHE’S SENSE EMBRACED HER NEW
REALITY.
REALITY. >> I’M LUCKY TO BE ALIVE.
KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
THAT THIS DIDN’T KILL ME,
BECAUSE IT REALLY COULD HAVE.
I FEEL LIKE MY PURPOSE NOW IS TO
BE THE FACE AND VOICE OF THIS SO
PEOPLE KNOW IT’S REAL AND IT
DOES HAPPEN.
DOES HAPPEN. >> Reporter: AND SHE CONTINUES
TO INSPIRE OTHERS WHO MAY BE
FACING SIMILAR EXPERIENCES.
>> WE HAVE AMPUTEES WRITING US
SAYING THANK YOU FOR SHOWING
YOURSELF IN SHORTS.
THAT’S WHAT IS SO AWESOME AND
IT’S MADE ALL OF THE PAIN AND
SUFFERING WORTH IT.
>> Reporter: AND LAUREN WASSER
IS HERE WITH US THIS MORNING.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> SO DOCTORS GAVE YOU A 1%
SURVIVAL RATE AFTER YOU WENT
INTO THE HOSPITAL.
WHAT WAS THE INITIAL SYMPTOM
THAT ACTUALLY MADE YOU GO TO THE
HOSPITAL IN THE FIRST PLACE?
>> I JUST THOUGHT I HAD THE FLU.
THE FLU SEASON WAS AROUND.
AROUND OCTOBER.
AROUND OCTOBER. ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING
SICK.
SICK. I’M AN LATHATHLETE ALWAYS ACTIVE
LITERALLY THOUGHT IT WAS THE
FLU.
FLU. FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS.
FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS. >> HOW YOU DEALT WITH THIS.
SIX YEARS BEFORE THE FIRST AND
SECOND.
SECOND. FIRST GAVE YOU LIFE, SECOND GAVE
YOU FREEDOM.
YOU FREEDOM. >> 50/50 CHANCE MY LEFT SIDE
WOULD SURVIVE MY FOOT.
BY THE GRACE OF GOD I WAS
PSYCHED FOR IT AND TRIED
EVERYTHING I COULD BUT WAS STILL
IN SO MUCH PAIN, IMMOBILE.
DIDN’T HAVE TOES, MIEL BADLY
DAMAGED.
DAMAGED. I WAS GOING TO BE 30 A MOM AND
WANTED TO GET BACK TO BEING AN
ATHLETE.
ATHLETE. THE BETST DECISION I MADE AND DI
IT FOR MYSELF BECAUSE I WANTED A
BETTER LIFE.
BETTER LIFE. >> YOU ARE ROCKING THESE GOLD
LEGS.
LEGS. THESE ARE SO COOL.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WHAT DO THEY MEAN TO YOU AND
FOR OTHERS WHO ARE AMPUTEES AS
WELL?
WELL? >> THEY ARE MY TROPHIES.
MY STRENGTH.
MY STRENGTH. THE PROSTHETIC COMPANY THAT
DEVELOPS THEM, THE RELATIONSHIP
WE’VE BUILT AND WHAT THEY’VE
ALLOWED ME TO DO IN MY LIFE
EVERY DAY.
EVERY DAY. I’M RUNNING THE NEW YORK CITY
MARCH THON
MARCH THON MARATHON.
MARATHON. >> YOU ARE?
>> YES.
>> YES. MADE MY BLADES ALSO GOLD, OF
COURSE.
COURSE. >> HOW HAS IT IMPACTED YOUR
CLEAR?
CLEAR? STILL MODELS, DOING WHAT YOU
LOVE?
LOVE? >> I AM.
>> I AM. BACK MODELS, SIGNED WITH ADIDAS,
DOING THINGS WITH H & M.
GETTING BACK IN THE ACTING GAME.
TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS I CAN.
INSPIRE AS MANY PEOPLE.
>> TONIGHT IS THE HERO’S HEART
AND HOPE GALA FOR THE CHALLENGED
ATHLETES FOUNDATION.
ATHLETES FOUNDATION. MY FOURTH YEAR EMCEEING IT.
I’M BRINGING MY BROTHER ALSO AN
AMPUTEE BECAUSE I THINK IT’S THE
MOST INSPIRING EVENT.
YOU’RE HONORED AT TONIGHT’S
EVENT.
EVENT. WHAT DOES THE CHALLENGED ATHLETE
EVENT DO AND HOW IMPORTANT IS
SPORTS AND GETTING IT BACK INTO
YOUR LIFE?
YOUR LIFE? >> IT’S EVERYTHING.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR LEGS,
YOUR LIFE, MOBILITY.
NOTHING YOU CAN POSSIBLY DO AND
THIS ALLOWS PEOPLE TO GET THEIR
LIVES BACK.
LIVES BACK. THEY PROVIDE PROSTHETICS THAT
ARE SO EXPENSIVE TO PEOPLE THAT
CAN’T AFFORD IT OR JUST IT’S NOT
POSSIBLE.
POSSIBLE. AND THEY GIVE THEM THEIR LIFE
BACK.
BACK. I THINK THAT’S -- THAT’S
PRICELESS.
PRICELESS. >> NO QUESTION.
ADULTS AND KIDS LOOK UP TO YOU,
TOO.
TOO. WE HEAR YOU HAVE A 5-YEAR-OLD
BUDDY NAMED SLOANE.
>> MY BEST FRIEND.
>> DYLAN AND I HAD A CHANCE TO
MEET HER THIS MORNING.
SLOANE IS HERE WITH US THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. SLOANE, COME HERE.
>> COME HERE, SLOANE.
>> COME HERE, BUDDY!
>> SHE COULDN’T BE MORE PROUD.
>> I RECENTLY MET SLOANE AND THE
PROSTHETIC OFFICE THAT WE BOTH
GO TO AND I SAW HER AND SHE JUST
INSPIRED ME SO MUCH.
JUST THE FACT SHE IS 5 AND HAS
NO IDEA, DOESN’T THINK SHE’S
DIFFERENT, BECAUSE SHE’S NOT.
I THINK WE ALL NEED TO REMEMBER
THAT.
THAT. SHE JUST LIVES HER LIFE.
I REALLY ADMIRE THAT.
>> HOW OLD ARE YOU, SLOANE?
>> 5.
>> 5. >> YOU’RE 5.
GOING TO KINDERGARTEN NEXT YEAR
I HEAR.
I HEAR. >> UH-HUH.
>> UH-HUH. >> DO YOU LOVE LOOKING UP TO
HER?
HER? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. HER LEGS ARE PRETTY COOL.
>> WE SAW "FROZEN" THE OTHER
NIGHT.
NIGHT. IT WAS FUN.
>> HOW COOL IS LAUREN?
>> REALLY COOL.
>> REALLY COOL.
THAT ABOUT SUMS THAT UP, MY
FRIEND.
FRIEND. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE
AND I WILL SEE YOU ALL LATER
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. WE HAVE FOLKS FROM THE
CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION
HERE AS WELL.
I WILL SEE ALL OF YOU TONIGHT.