Iowa woman faked cancer diagnosis to rake in thousands in donations: police

An Iowa girl falsely claimed to have leukemia and pancreatic most cancers to herald tens of 1000’s of {dollars} in donations, in accordance with authorities. 

Madison Russo, 19, is now charged with theft after purporting to be affected by “leukemia, stage 2 pancreatic most cancers and a tumor, the scale of a soccer, that wrapped round her backbone,” the Eldridge Police Division stated in a information launch.

Russo shared her “most cancers journey” on social media, a GoFundMe web page and in an area media interview. Witnesses claiming to have medical expertise stated they observed “many medical discrepancies” in Russo’s social media posts and contacted police, The Kansas Metropolis Star reported. 

Medical professionals noticed “horrible life-threatening inaccuracies of her medical tools placement on her physique,” in accordance with courtroom paperwork. Some pictures gave the impression to be taken at Russo’s house as an alternative of a medical workplace.

2 IOWA STUDENTS KILLED, 1 SCHOOL EMPLOYEE INJURED SCHOOL SHOOTING, 2 SUSPECTS IN CUSTODY

Court docket paperwork additionally state that she took pictures posted by actual most cancers sufferers and shared them as her personal. 

She stated in an interview with the North Scott Press on Oct. 18 that she was identified with pancreatic most cancers on Feb. 10, 2022, and with leukemia a couple of months later. She stated docs gave her a “slim 11% survival fee for 5 years” earlier than discovering the spinal tumor. Russo stated she nonetheless attended courses at St. Ambrose College, maintained a excessive GPA and interned at John Deere regardless of her claims of medical points.

On a GoFundMe web page that has since been eliminated, Russo raised greater than $37,000 from 438 donations, in accordance with the Muscatine Journal.

GoFundMe stated in a press release to McClatchy Information that it has a “zero tolerance coverage for misuse of our platform and cooperates with legislation enforcement investigations of these accused of wrongdoing. All donors have been refunded and we now have eliminated this fundraiser. The beneficiary has additionally been banned from utilizing the platform for any future fundraisers.”

Police stated in a information launch that she was arrested on Jan. 23 and is going through a cost of theft via deception after stealing cash from donors.

An Iowa girl falsely claimed to have leukemia and pancreatic most cancers to herald tens of 1000’s of {dollars} in donations, in accordance with authorities. 
(TikTok)

Russo additionally spoke about her “most cancers journey” at St. Ambrose College, The Nationwide Pancreatic Basis in Chicago, and a podcast for Challenge Purple On-line, in accordance with police. However the Nationwide Pancreatic Most cancers Basis stated in a information launch that it was “inadvertently named.”

“This isn’t correct,” the muse stated. “We will verify the particular person in query has had no contact with the Nationwide Pancreatic Most cancers Basis and has by no means spoken at any of our occasions … We’re disheartened to listen to that somebody would pretend a most cancers prognosis.”

St. Ambrose College has not confirmed if Russo spoke at its establishment.

MURDER OF 2 IOWA STUDENTS WAS A TARGETED ATTACK, ACCORDING TO POLICE

Eldridge Police stated Russo was arrested on Jan. 23 and is going through a cost of theft via deception after stealing cash from donors.
(Eldridge Police Division)

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Challenge Purple instructed McClatchy Information that this “is an unlucky state of affairs for everybody concerned.” 

“Like those that donated, we had no cause to not imagine Maddie’s story and didn’t have entry to privileged medical info to substantiate her story,” the group stated in a press release, including that it was cooperating with legislation enforcement.

Russo was booked into Scott County Jail earlier than posting a $10,000 bond. She will likely be arraigned on March 2.