Young woman, 23, who died after refusing chemo was 'fanatical' about her heath
A University of Cambridge graduate who died after she refused chemotherapy told a court she was "anti-vax" and said she trusted her mum's health advice, an inquest has heard.
Paloma Shemirani, 23, died at Royal Sussex County Hospital on July 24 2024 after declining the treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Her mum, Kay, "Kate" Shemirani, is known for sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories online, the inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone, Kent, previously heard.
In written statements submitted to the family division of the 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 NHS practitioners in the statements, which were read by lawyer Alison Hewitt. 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. 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 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.
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-fiancée, 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.
Her GP was also monitoring her blood and progress, she said. 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
21 minutes ago
- ITV News
Mother of Sussex woman who died after refusing chemo says her 'anti-vaccine' views are not to blame
ITV Meridian's James Dunham reports from Kent and Medway Coroner's Court in Maidstone. The mother of a young woman from Uckfield who decided not to proceed with NHS cancer care, has told an inquest she isn't to blame for her daughter's death, but the health service is. Kate Shemirani, who was struck off as a nurse for promoting anti-vaccine views during the pandemic, said she did not influence Paloma Shemirani's decision to explore natural therapies Paloma, 23, collapsed on July 19 last year and was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital where she died five days later having earlier declined treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Her mother, Kay 'Kate' Shemirani, who rose to prominence on social media while sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories, said her daughter 'deteriorated catastrophically' when paramedics intervened. Ms Shemirani, who was involved in Paloma's 'alternative treatment' called her friend before calling an ambulance the day her daughter collapsed, the inquest at Kent and Medway Coroner's Court in Maidstone, heard. Former nurse Kate Shemirani's anti-medicine views during the pandemic attracted large audiences On Wednesday, reading a prepared witness statement, she accused the inquest of 'attempting to shift focus' from the 'real' cause of Paloma's death. 'Any attempt to place responsibility on me is false – the people who need to be answering are those who failed to confirm diagnosis, administered drugs without her consent which could have damaged her heart,' said Ms Shemirani. She claims that while in hospital in December 2023, Paloma was given medication without her consent and felt 'pressured and bullied' by medical staff. 'I became very suspicious and deeply concerned about what was happening,' Ms Shemirani told the coroner. Paloma's twin brother Gabriel Shemirani suggests that when Paloma was first diagnosed, she was considering chemotherapy, before their parents started to pressure her against it. Ms Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021, having qualified in the 1980s and a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee found she had spread Covid-19 misinformation that 'put the public at a significant risk of harm'. After her stay in hospital in December 2023, Paloma began an alternative treatment programme which included daily coffee enemas, a strict diet and green juices, the inquest heard previously. 'Paloma made her own treatment choices based on her values, research and experiences,' said Ms Shemirani. She added that her daughter was 'never a victim of coercion' and that she 'continued to improve physically' under her alternative medicines. 'She was determined to get well on her own terms and this is well documented in her own high court statement which was read out in this coroner's hearing' said Ms Shemirani. On the day she collapsed, she had an appointment with an osteopath, Nick Gosset, who described her on Wednesday as 'a young lady who was in the last stages of a very difficult disease' and said he advised she seek medical help. Today, her mother disagreed saying: 'On the morning of July 19 Paloma was well. 'She looks healthy and good colour … she was smiling and laughing, she was not as described yesterday by the osteopath.' Paloma collapsed at home later that day, and her mother called her friend who then called an ambulance while they initiated CPR. On the 999 call played to the court, Ms Shemirani was heard shouting 'she's dying' to the operator before the paramedics arrived. She also told the ambulance operator 'it's difficult to lie her on her front because she has a medicinal mass' in her throat, the inquest heard. In her evidence, Ms Shemirani told the court that when the paramedics arrived they administered adrenaline 'then everything went horribly wrong' following their intervention and her daughter went into 'full circulatory collapse'. 'I knew at this point that they'd done something, given something that had caused this,' she said. Ms Shemirani added: 'She deteriorated catastrophically upon their arrival and their intervention.' Paloma was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on a ventilator, and brain stem death was declared on the afternoon of July 24 2024 after a series of nationally advised medical checks. Ms Shemirani said the decision taken was rushed and said that the brain stem testing was not the same in the UK as it was in the US, and wanted an MRI. Intensivist and anaesthetist Dr Peter Anderson, who was on shift when Paloma died, explained: 'I thought the risk of deterioration and uncontrolled death was extremely high.' Ms Shemirani said: 'We are deeply concerned this inquest is attempting to shift focus on the cause of death.' Later she added: 'We believe this to be an attempt to pervert the course of justice and conceal the cause of Paloma's death.' The inquest continues.
North Wales Chronicle
26 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Conspiracy theorist says daughter died by medical gross negligence manslaughter
Paloma Shemirani, 23, collapsed on July 19 last year and was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital where she died five days later having earlier declined treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Her mother, Kay 'Kate' Shemirani, who rose to prominence on social media while sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories, said her daughter 'deteriorated catastrophically' when paramedics intervened. Ms Shemirani, who was involved in Paloma's 'alternative treatment' called her friend before calling an ambulance the day her daughter collapsed, the inquest at Kent and Medway Coroner's Court in Maidstone, heard. On Wednesday, reading a prepared witness statement, she accused the inquest of 'attempting to shift focus' from the 'real' cause of Paloma's death. 'Any attempt to place responsibility on me is false – the people who need to be answering are those who failed to confirm diagnosis, administered drugs without her consent which could have damaged her heart,' said Ms Shemirani. Ms Shemirani told the court that a 'sequence of medical actions' caused her daughter's death, which she claimed amounted to 'gross negligence manslaughter'. She claims that while in hospital in December 2023, Paloma was given medication without her consent and felt 'pressured and bullied' by medical staff. 'I became very suspicious and deeply concerned about what was happening,' Ms Shemirani told the coroner. Paloma's twin brother Gabriel Shemirani suggests that when Paloma was first diagnosed, she was considering chemotherapy, before their parents started to pressure her against it. Ms Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021, having qualified in the 1980s and a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee found she had spread Covid-19 misinformation that 'put the public at a significant risk of harm'. After her stay in hospital in December 2023, Paloma began an alternative treatment programme which included daily coffee enemas, a strict diet and green juices, the inquest heard previously. 'Paloma made her own treatment choices based on her values, research and experiences,' said Ms Shemirani. She added that her daughter was 'never a victim of coercion' and that she 'continued to improve physically' under her alternative medicines. 'She was determined to get well on her own terms and this is well documented in her own high court statement which was read out in this coroner's hearing' said Ms Shemirani. On the day she collapsed, she had an appointment with an osteopath, Nick Gosset, who described her on Wednesday as 'a young lady who was in the last stages of a very difficult disease' and said he advised she seek medical help. Today, her mother disagreed saying: 'On the morning of July 19 Paloma was well. 'She looks healthy and good colour … she was smiling and laughing, she was not as described yesterday by the osteopath.' Paloma collapsed at home later that day, and her mother called her friend who then called an ambulance while they initiated CPR. On the 999 call played to the court, Ms Shemirani was heard shouting 'she's dying' to the operator before the paramedics arrived. She also told the ambulance operator 'it's difficult to lie her on her front because she has a medicinal mass' in her throat, the inquest heard. In her evidence, Ms Shemirani told the court that when the paramedics arrived they administered adrenaline 'then everything went horribly wrong' following their intervention and her daughter went into 'full circulatory collapse'. 'I knew at this point that they'd done something, given something that had caused this,' she said. Ms Shemirani added: 'She deteriorated catastrophically upon their arrival and their intervention.' Dr Anderson said Paloma received a standard adult dose of adrenaline during the cardiac arrest, and that this was acceptable even given how thin she was at the time. Paloma was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on a ventilator, and brain stem death was declared on the afternoon of July 24 2024 after a series of nationally advised medical checks. Ms Shemirani said the decision taken was rushed and said that the brain stem testing was not the same in the UK as it was in the US, and wanted an MRI. Intensivist and anaesthetist Dr Peter Anderson, who was on shift when Paloma died, explained: 'I thought the risk of deterioration and uncontrolled death was extremely high.' Dr Anderson noted that on the 999 call, Ms Shemirani called out Paloma's oxygen saturation which was 'critically low' at 36 then 35. He told the coroner that if Paloma's 'sats' were that low for a significant time then the brain damage was done before the paramedics arrived. Ms Shemirani said: 'We are deeply concerned this inquest is attempting to shift focus on the cause of death.' Later she added: 'We believe this to be an attempt to pervert the course of justice and conceal the cause of Paloma's death.' The inquest continues.
Powys County Times
42 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Conspiracy theorist says daughter died by medical gross negligence manslaughter
A high-profile conspiracy theorist claims her daughter's death was caused by gross negligence manslaughter from medical staff, an inquest heard. Paloma Shemirani, 23, collapsed on July 19 last year and was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital where she died five days later having earlier declined treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Her mother, Kay 'Kate' Shemirani, who rose to prominence on social media while sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories, said her daughter 'deteriorated catastrophically' when paramedics intervened. Ms Shemirani, who was involved in Paloma's 'alternative treatment' called her friend before calling an ambulance the day her daughter collapsed, the inquest at Kent and Medway Coroner's Court in Maidstone, heard. On Wednesday, reading a prepared witness statement, she accused the inquest of 'attempting to shift focus' from the 'real' cause of Paloma's death. 'Any attempt to place responsibility on me is false – the people who need to be answering are those who failed to confirm diagnosis, administered drugs without her consent which could have damaged her heart,' said Ms Shemirani. Ms Shemirani told the court that a 'sequence of medical actions' caused her daughter's death, which she claimed amounted to 'gross negligence manslaughter'. She claims that while in hospital in December 2023, Paloma was given medication without her consent and felt 'pressured and bullied' by medical staff. 'I became very suspicious and deeply concerned about what was happening,' Ms Shemirani told the coroner. Paloma's twin brother Gabriel Shemirani suggests that when Paloma was first diagnosed, she was considering chemotherapy, before their parents started to pressure her against it. Ms Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021, having qualified in the 1980s and a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee found she had spread Covid-19 misinformation that 'put the public at a significant risk of harm'. After her stay in hospital in December 2023, Paloma began an alternative treatment programme which included daily coffee enemas, a strict diet and green juices, the inquest heard previously. 'Paloma made her own treatment choices based on her values, research and experiences,' said Ms Shemirani. She added that her daughter was 'never a victim of coercion' and that she 'continued to improve physically' under her alternative medicines. 'She was determined to get well on her own terms and this is well documented in her own high court statement which was read out in this coroner's hearing' said Ms Shemirani. On the day she collapsed, she had an appointment with an osteopath, Nick Gosset, who described her on Wednesday as 'a young lady who was in the last stages of a very difficult disease' and said he advised she seek medical help. Today, her mother disagreed saying: 'On the morning of July 19 Paloma was well. 'She looks healthy and good colour … she was smiling and laughing, she was not as described yesterday by the osteopath.' Paloma collapsed at home later that day, and her mother called her friend who then called an ambulance while they initiated CPR. On the 999 call played to the court, Ms Shemirani was heard shouting 'she's dying' to the operator before the paramedics arrived. She also told the ambulance operator 'it's difficult to lie her on her front because she has a medicinal mass' in her throat, the inquest heard. In her evidence, Ms Shemirani told the court that when the paramedics arrived they administered adrenaline 'then everything went horribly wrong' following their intervention and her daughter went into 'full circulatory collapse'. 'I knew at this point that they'd done something, given something that had caused this,' she said. Ms Shemirani added: 'She deteriorated catastrophically upon their arrival and their intervention.' Dr Anderson said Paloma received a standard adult dose of adrenaline during the cardiac arrest, and that this was acceptable even given how thin she was at the time. Paloma was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on a ventilator, and brain stem death was declared on the afternoon of July 24 2024 after a series of nationally advised medical checks. Ms Shemirani said the decision taken was rushed and said that the brain stem testing was not the same in the UK as it was in the US, and wanted an MRI. Intensivist and anaesthetist Dr Peter Anderson, who was on shift when Paloma died, explained: 'I thought the risk of deterioration and uncontrolled death was extremely high.' Dr Anderson noted that on the 999 call, Ms Shemirani called out Paloma's oxygen saturation which was 'critically low' at 36 then 35. He told the coroner that if Paloma's 'sats' were that low for a significant time then the brain damage was done before the paramedics arrived. Ms Shemirani said: 'We are deeply concerned this inquest is attempting to shift focus on the cause of death.' Later she added: 'We believe this to be an attempt to pervert the course of justice and conceal the cause of Paloma's death.'
