An Iowa woman has been charged with defrauding her donors of $37,000 by lying that she had cancer, a tumor the size of a soccer ball in her spine.
Madison Marie Russo, 19, pointed out irregular cords and tubes in a TikTok “chemotherapy” video that led her to fake a Stage 2 cancer diagnosis, after medical officials reported she died in January. Arrested on the 23rd.
Russo said she had pancreatic cancer and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, as well as tumors “about the size of a soccer ball” on her hips and spine.
According to KWQC, police obtained medical records from the facility where he was a patient, revealing he was not being treated for cancer or tumors. Authorities also found that Russo had stolen photos from cancer patients’ social media accounts and used them as his own.
He posted $10,000 bail the day he was arrested.
Police obtained medical records from the institutions where she was a patient, all of which revealed that she had never been treated for cancer or tumors.
According to KWQC, police obtained a search warrant at Russo’s Bettendorf apartment and found a brown paper bag containing medical supplies, a fluff-filled IV tube with a pump, a box of clear dressing, a wig, and nausea with a relative’s name on it. It seems that he found a prescription for
An official investigation found that Russo received money from 439 donors, including cancer foundations and school districts. A GoFundMe account found an additional $37,303 raised as of Jan. 19.
Russo told The North Scott Press in October that his so-called medical journey began when he received a call about his diagnosis in February 2022 while attending classes at St. Ambrose College.
I’ve been waiting for this test result since early in the morning,” Russo said. “The phone rang and it said ‘Iowa City Oncology.’ I left the classroom and got the call.
I was scared and I am still scared. It was a shock. I couldn’t believe it happened. I was so young, how could this happen? I went through all the emotions and was pretty stunned. ”
An alleged cancer patient, she claims, was tested before her diagnosis because of bloody stools, nosebleeds and fever.
When she was diagnosed, doctors told her she had an 11% survival rate after five years.
I remember she hung up and she was a mess.” She was literally crying, but she managed to work up the courage to wipe her tears and go back to her class. Now that I think about it, it was unbelievable.
At the time, Russo said doctors were arguing that surgery to remove a tumor the size of a soccer ball was impossible. “The risk is greater than the reward,” they said.
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