An Iowa lady was charged after allegedly scamming $37,000 from donors by mendacity that she has most cancers and a tumor the dimensions of a soccer on her backbone.
Madison Marie Russo, 19, was arrested on January 23 after medical professionals reported she was faking a stage 2 most cancers prognosis by mentioning the irregularities of cords and tubes in her ‘chemo’ TikTok movies.
Russo claimed she had pancreatic most cancers and acute lymphoblastic leukemia – together with a ‘football-sized’ tumor on her decrease again and backbone.
Police obtained medical data from facilities the place she was a affected person that each one revealed she was by no means handled for most cancers or tumors, based on KWQC. Authorities additionally found that Russo was stealing images from most cancers sufferers’ social media and utilizing them as her personal.
She posted her bail for $10,000 on the identical day she was arrested.
Madison Marie Russo, 19, allegedly lied about her stage 2 most cancers prognosis. She was arrested final week after medical professionals identified the irregularities of cords and tubes in her ‘chemo’ TikTok movies
Police obtained medical data from facilities the place she was a affected person that each one revealed she was by no means handled for most cancers or tumors
Police obtained a search warrant for Russo’s Bettendorf condominium the place they discovered a brown paper bag with medical provides, an IV pole with a cotton ball crammed pump, containers of clear dressing, wigs and a prescription for nausea made out to her relative, based on KWQC.
Authorities uncovered Russo accepted cash from 439 donors, together with from most cancers foundations and faculty districts. A GoFundMe account confirmed one other $37,303 was raised by January 19.
Russo’s claimed her alleged medical journey began in February 2022 when she bought a name about her prognosis whereas attending class at St. Ambrose College, she instructed The North Scott Press in October.
‘It was early within the morning, and I had been anxiously awaiting these take a look at outcomes,’ Russo mentioned. ‘My cellphone rang, and it mentioned, “Iowa Metropolis Oncology.” I stepped out of the classroom and took the decision.
‘I used to be terrified, and I undoubtedly nonetheless am. I used to be in shock. I did not assume it might be true. I am so younger, and I questioned how this might occur. I went by way of all of the feelings, and I used to be fairly numb.’
The alleged most cancers affected person claimed that bloody stools, nostril bleeds and fevers despatched her to get her labs finished earlier than her prognosis.
When she bought the prognosis, she mentioned medical doctors had given her an 11 p.c survival charge for 5 years.
‘I bear in mind hanging up the cellphone, and I used to be a multitude,’ she mentioned. ‘I used to be actually bawling, however by some means I ended up getting the braveness to wipe away my tears and went again into class, which now, once I give it some thought, was fairly loopy.’
On the time, Russo claimed medical doctors insisted surgical procedure wasn’t a chance to take away her ‘football-sized’ tumor. They referred to as it ‘extra threat than reward,’ Russo mentioned.
A GoFundMe account confirmed one other $37,303 was raised by January 19. Authorities uncovered Russo accepted cash from 439 donors, together with from most cancers foundations and faculty districts
Between February and October 2022, Russo alleged she obtained about 15 rounds of chemotherapy and 90 rounds of radiation, the information outlet reported. She additionally insisted she had a session with Mayo Clinic medical doctors.
‘Life has been loopy,’ she mentioned. ‘It is like a Catch-22. I am unable to win for dropping. I really feel like I have been rocked to my soul, and proper now, all the pieces is type of unsure. I simply need to know my sport plan, and proper now, I do not know what that’s.
‘After all, day-after-day cannot be sunshine and rainbows, however you’ll be able to’t simply select to be mad on the most cancers. It simply occurs to folks. In the event you keep depressed, and in a darkish area, I really feel like your physique won’t ever get higher.’
Regardless of Russo’s ‘most cancers prognosis’, she was in a position to obtain a 4.0 GPA, work part-time and take part in outside actions.
Between February and October 2022, Russo alleged she obtained about 15 rounds of chemotherapy and 90 rounds of radiation
Russo’s ‘medical journey’ was often posted on social media the place she talked about her alleged chemo course of and day-to-day signs.
‘It is days like these which are exhausting,’ Russo mentioned in a earlier video. ‘I simply have totally different combined feelings, and with my hair – and stuff like that is clearly an enormous concern – clearly as a lady… hair is an enormous a part of everyone’s lives, however to consider the potential of utilizing it, it is only one thing more… hopefully nothing else falls out.’
In a separate video, Russo defined that she had a tough week after chemo however wasn’t feeling sick.
‘It is type of been slightly eventful week,’ Russo mentioned. ‘Within the most cancers world, eventful is just not good. I might relatively have an uneventful week as a result of it means you are type of coasting alongside.
‘So I’ve had slightly bump within the street. It is my week off chemo, so I have been simply doing radiation. Nonetheless, I type of got here down with this fever. This one is actually bizarre trigger I do not really feel, like, sick. I do not actually have, like, chilly or, like, sore throat, any of the opposite signs…Simply type of like that feeling of being run down.’
Russo defined that she bought lab exams again displaying a low white blood rely that doubtless occurred as a result of simply getting finished with chemo.
Russo’s ‘medical journey’ was often posted on social media the place she talked about her alleged chemo course of and day-to-day signs
Police revealed Russo’s footage of her therapy ‘inside’ a medical workplace was additionally taken in her condominium.
Donors had been shocked to listen to about Russo’s arrests after unknowingly contributing to her scheme.
‘I didn’t actually have phrases when my pal despatched me the hyperlink and mentioned “hey didn’t you donate to this?”‘ an unidentified donor instructed KWQC. ‘I didn’t donate that a lot however you do what you’ll be able to and also you’re simply shocked.’
GoFundMe directors despatched out a discover to Russo’s donors claiming they’d get there a refund in as much as seven enterprise days.
Web sleuths had been fast to criticize Russo and discover her hidden errors in a number of of her movies.
One TikToker posted a photograph of Russo smiling whereas related to a gastrostomy tube that identified was too far up her nostril and a ‘chest port’ was was wrongly utilized.
‘What’s going on with that chest port,’ one particular person mentioned in response to the picture on TikTok. ‘I am not a chemo nurse however this doesn’t appear to be a port to me. The dressing is actually screwed up.’
One other TikToker grabbed her son’s previous gastrostomy tube and tried to stay it far up her nostril like Russo.
‘Undoubtedly not snug,’ she mentioned whereas including within the caption, ‘my nostril damage after doing that.’
Russo is about to be arraigned on March 2.