Young woman (23) who died after refusing chemotherapy ‘told court she was anti-vax'

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5 days ago

A University of Cambridge graduate who died after refusing chemotherapy told a court that she was 'anti-vax' and always turned to her mother first for health advice, an inquest in England has heard.
Paloma Shemirani (23) died at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, England, on July 24th, 2024, after declining the treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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Her mother, Kay 'Kate' Shemirani, rose to prominence on social media while sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories, the inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone, Kent, heard previously.
In written statements submitted to the family division of the London High Court in Spring 2024, Paloma said she declined chemotherapy partly because of her 'background in natural healing', the inquest heard on Monday.
The proceedings, which involved the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, were on the appropriateness of her care and Paloma said she was 'delighted' with her alternative treatment and 'sure' she would 'make a full recovery' if left to continue it, the inquest was told.
She also claimed her human rights had been violated by healthcare practitioners in the statements, which were read by lawyer Alison Hewitt.
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Ms Shemirani, who attended the inquest via video link, weeped and held pictures of Paloma to the camera as they were read.
It said: 'I am far from being a vulnerable young adult. Apart from becoming independent after I moved to Cambridge for university, I have practised the same principles that I grew up with.
'I have always been extremely health conscious: sticking to all-organic produce, I prepare all my own meals and I absolutely do not drink or cook with tap water.
'I have never taken drugs, despite pressure to, and I rarely drink alcohol.
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Kent and Medway Coroner Service in Oakwood House (Gareth Fuller/PA)
'If I became ill, I've always turned to my mum first for advice as she is a trained nurse and qualified nutritionist.
'Practically fanatical about my health, my close friends know me as a staunch advocate for all proven natural healing'.
She also described her mother as 'an extremely forceful advocate for natural health' who is 'misquoted' by people claiming 'those natural solutions are conspiratorial'.
Ms Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021, with a UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee finding that she had spread Covid-19 misinformation that 'put the public at a significant risk of harm', the inquest heard previously.
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Another statement in Paloma's name added 'my friends know me as a staunch advocate of the Gerson therapy' and that she is 'anti-vax'.
She said she had been using Gerson therapy as one mode of treatment on the advice of her mother's ex-fiance, Doctor Patrick Villers, and that at 15 years old she spent three weeks in his camp in Mexico where it was practised.
Gerson therapy involves a strict organic vegetarian diet and enemas and has been used in cancer treatment, though Cancer Research UK says that there is no scientific evidence it can be used as a treatment for cancer.
Gabriel Shemirani, twin brother of Paloma (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Her GP was also monitoring her blood and progress, she said.
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The former Cambridge student went on to deny having the disease and said 'I was not diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma… I have never had a shadow on my lung, this is absurd fantasy, no proof'.
She described the diagnosis as 'suspected and unconfirmed', and said a 'differential diagnosis' only meant cancer could not be ruled out.
Paloma understood that she had a one in five chance of surviving the commonplace R-CHOP treatment that was offered, and feared it would likely make her infertile, the inquest heard.
'I do not want to undergo such a harsh treatment that could even kill me when there is a possibility this is not cancer', she said.
The High Court statement alleged multiple violations of human rights in her care, the inquest heard, including Articles 3, 6 and 8 and possibly Articles 1, 5 and 12.
'I am so shocked, as are others assisting me, especially my mother, that this could take place today', the statement said.
'These were put in place forever to prevent what Dr Mengele did in the second world war. How could this happen today?', it continued.
Notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele performed experiments on his victims in Auschwitz.
The patient said symptoms she presented in hospital with – including a swollen face, excruciating chest pain being unable to move her arm – had subsided.
Coroner Catherine Wood reprimanded Ms Shemirani multiple times during proceedings.
Ms Shemirani cross-examined Dr Amit Goel, a consultant histopathologist at Maidstone Hospital who carried out a biopsy.
She repeatedly put to him that insufficient tissue was taken to carry out a FISH test that could rule out other diseases and alter Paloma's treatment plan.
The doctor denied that this would have influenced Paloma's care multiple times, and the coroner told Ms Shemirani the inquest is trying to look at 'how Paloma came about her death' but 'you are apparently trying to get information which is incorrect, factually incorrect, in the statements you are making'.
'I think your questions are just designed to take up time and delay matters by the way you're asking them repeatedly,' she added.
The mother accused participants of mis-pronouncing her name, which eventually led Ms Wood to say: 'I am going to rise, for Ms Shemirani to reflect on her behaviour in court, this is unacceptable.
'Let's have a pause for tempers to die down because you are clearly becoming over-fixated on a detail.'
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At the opening of the hearing Ms Shemirani made an application for a lawyer to recuse herself.
The coroner rejected the application and said had seen the 'hundreds of emails that have been sent in' and that 'you have requested that everybody recuse themselves at various times', including the coroner herself.
The inquest continues.