“Donations will be greatly appreciated to help cover medical costs and allow Maddie to focus on one thing and that is proving that she is stronger than cancer and that she will beat it.” This is what we were able to read on the GoFundMe page, a crowdfunding platform, of Madison Russo, a 19-year-old American girl.
This Iowa resident has been accused of pretending to have cancer and thus having defrauded tens of thousands of dollars in donations from her subscribers on social networks, several US media report.
“Numerous medical anomalies”
Madison Russo was unmasked by netizens on the TikTok social network, where the young woman documented her treatment journey against her “stage 2 cancer”. In fact, several users have noticed that certain medical equipment does not seem correct, especially during supposed chemotherapy sessions.
According to judicial information disseminated by the US media, health professionals were alerted and contacted the authorities on January 11 due to “numerous medical anomalies,” reports the New York Post.
TikTokeuse said he was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer, leukemia, and a tumor “the size of a football” that had wrapped around his spine. He also explained that he had been given an “11% survival rate.”
$37,000 raised
Madison Russo then released a kitten online. “As you can imagine, this diagnosis has been very hard on Maddie’s family. As with any cancer diagnosis, the cost of medical bills, gas, meals and expenses can be a burden, and it’s something this family shouldn’t have to worry about. about,” said the fundraiser, who has since been removed from GoFundMe.
More than 37,000 dollars (33,000 euros) have been raised thanks to the donations of 439 people, including schools, cancer foundations, individuals and companies, he explains the independent.
He faces up to 10 years in prison according to local police, while GoFundme has promised to reimburse all donors.
Wig, fake photos…
During the search of his apartment, the police seized in particular a fake wig, an infusion stand with a feeding pump filled with cotton balls, medical supplies in the name of a relative and cash.
Local media also reported that photos posted on social media of Madison Russo, which were supposed to show her receiving chemotherapy, came from an account belonging to another cancer patient.
In addition, the authorities reviewed the medical records of three hospitals in the area where the young woman claimed to have been treated, but no record of her cancer diagnosis could be found in any of them.
fake interviews
However, in an interview with local media North Scott Press Last October, the young woman had told how she had found out about her cancer diagnosis while she was studying at the university. “Somehow, I finally found the courage to wipe away my tears and go back to school,” she said.
Madison Russo had indeed intervened in various media to talk about her said fight against the disease. She even gave a lecture set up from scratch at the university where she studied, police report.
She was arrested on January 23 and released on $10,000 bail, and is due to appear on March 2 for arraignment.
Source: BFM TV
