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The Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
‘Anti-vax' mum ‘interrupted' paramedics trying to save dying daughter- claiming heart attack was her ‘choking on food'
THE mum of a young model who died after refusing chemotherapy for cancer "presented a challenge" to paramedics trying to save her daughter's life. Paloma Shemirani, 23, from Uckfield, East Sussex, was diagnosed at Maidstone Hospital with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2023. 7 7 7 She died seven months later in July 2024 after seeking only "alternative" treatments, which included green juices and coffee enemas. Her mum, Kay 'Kate' Shemirani is a former nurse, struck off in 2021 for spreading anti-medicine and anti-vaccine Covid-19 misinformation. She has, in public, expressed views against chemotherapy, by calling the treatment dangerous and toxic - which she has since said is "not true" at an ongoing inquest into Paloma's death. When Paloma collapsed at her mother's home on July 19 paramedic Robin Bass said Kate "presented a challenge as she kept interrupting while the crews were carrying out care", the BBC reports. He told the coroner that Kate mentioned a mass on her daughter's chest. When Robin told colleagues it could be cancer, he said Kate denied it was. Instead, Kate said Paloma was choking on food. Paloma, a Cambridge graduate and a Miss Universe Great Britain 2021 finalist, then died just five days later at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton after suffering a heart attack caused by her tumour. Dr Peter Anderson, who saw her when paramedics brought her in, previously told the inquest a large mass in her chest and neck. He said the mass was compressing her airways and affecting major blood vessels, could have caused the cardiac arrest. A safeguarding report was later requested over concerns about Paloma's rejection of cancer treatment and the "possible influence" of her mother. Benjamin Zand interviews Kate Shemirani for new QAnon documentary The Cult of Conspiracy Paloma's twin brother, Gabriel, who blames her death on his mother's conspiratorial beliefs, previously told the inquest that when Paloma was first diagnosed she was considering chemotherapy. She only rejected the treatment, which she was told would give her an 80 per cent chance of recovery, when her parents started to pressure her against it, he claimed. "I blame my mother entirely for my sister's death", he said, by "obstructing" his sister from receiving treatment. The former nurse said she would have supported her daughter 'physically and financially' whatever her decision on receiving treatment. Alison Hewitt, counsel at the inquest, asked Kate last week: 'It is the case, isn't it, that you have expressed publicly views which are contrary to chemotherapy... you consider chemotherapy is a dangerous and toxic process and one that you wouldn't advise someone suffering cancer undergoes?' At the time, Kate branded the question 'slanderous' and 'not true', adding: 'In all my public appearances I say people should get all the information and then decide.' 7 7 When pushed on whether she had described chemotherapy as mustard gas, she replied: 'This is not relevant. You're making slanderous accusations. People should be able to choose.' Earlier in the hearing, when describing the months before her daughter's death, Kate said Paloma had chosen treatment which included nutrition, juices and spiritual support. Gabriel asked if she had made the paramedics' job more difficult that night. Robin said: "I believe we had to be quite firm at some points… had to ask for quiet while administering care to your sister." The coroner previously heard that Kate, who was involved in Paloma's "alternative treatment" called her friend before calling an ambulance the day her daughter collapsed. Gabriel asked another paramedic at the inquest, who also treated Paloma, if his mum's delay in calling an ambulance affected her chance of survival. "It's difficult to say," said Karen Clarke, a critical care paramedic. "You always recommend someone calling 999 straight away." Gabriel asked Karen if she would have called a friend first, she replied she would have called an ambulance first. Kate has previously accused doctors and paramedics of killing Paloma. 7 Non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment, as recommended by the NHS Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is usually treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, although some people may not need treatment straight away. In a few cases, if the initial cancer is very small and can be removed during a biopsy, no further treatment may be needed. If non-Hodgkin lymphoma is low grade (slow developing) and a person is well, a period of "watch and wait" is often recommended. This is because some people take many years to develop troublesome symptoms and starting treatment immediately is often felt to be unnecessary. But in other cases, chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells. If non-Hodgkin lymphoma doesn't get better with initial treatment (known as refractory lymphoma), you may have a course of chemotherapy at a stronger dose. But this intensive chemotherapy destroys your bone marrow, and can lead to the following side effects: nausea and vomiting diarrhoea loss of appetite mouth ulcers tiredness skin rashes hair loss infertility, which may be temporary or permanent A stem cell or bone marrow transplant is then needed to replace the damaged bone marrow. Radiotherapy is most often used to treat early-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma, where the cancer is only in one part of the body. And for some types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, you may have a type of medicine called a monoclonal antibody. These medicines attach themselves to both healthy and cancerous cells, and signal to the immune system to attack and kill the cells. Other potential non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatments include: Cancer growth blockers Steroid medicine Immunotherapy Source: NHS
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Mum 'kept interrupting paramedics saving daughter', inquest told
The mother of a woman who died after refusing chemotherapy for cancer "presented a challenge" to paramedics trying to save her daughter's life after she suffered a heart attack, an inquest has Shemirani, 23, from Uckfield, East Sussex, was diagnosed at Maidstone Hospital with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2023. She died seven months later after seeking only "alternative" treatment. Her mother Kate Shemirani, a former nurse who rose to prominence on social media sharing Covid conspiracy theories, calls chemotherapy toxic and dangerous, the inquest was told. 'We had to be quite firm' When Paloma collapsed at her mother's home in July 2024, paramedic Robin Bass said Kate "presented a challenge as she kept interrupting while the crews were carrying out care".He told the coroner that Kate mentioned a mass on her daughter's chest. When Mr Bass told colleagues it could be cancer, he said Kate denied it was. Paloma's mother, who was struck off as a nurse for promoting misinformation about the pandemic, instead said she was choking on food. Paloma, a Cambridge graduate, died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton after suffering a heart attack caused by her tumour. Dr Peter Anderson, who saw her when paramedics brought her in, previously told the inquest a large mass in her chest and neck, which was compressing her airways and affecting major blood vessels, could have caused the cardiac arrest. A safeguarding report was later requested over concerns about Paloma's refusal of cancer treatment and the "possible influence" of her mother. Paloma's twin brother Gabriel, who blames her death on his mother's conspiratorial beliefs, asked if she had made the paramedics' job more difficult that night. Mr Bass said: "I believe we had to be quite firm at some points… had to ask for quiet while administering care to your sister."The coroner previously heard that Ms Shemirani had called a friend when Paloma collapsed, only dialling 999 after her friend arrived at the house. Paloma's brother Gabriel asked another paramedic who treated Paloma at the inquest if his mum's delay in calling an ambulance affected her chance of survival."It's difficult to say," said Karen Clarke, Secamb critical care paramedic. "You always recommend someone calling 999 straight away."Gabriel asked Ms Clarke if she would have called a friend first, she replied she would have called an ambulance first. Dr Arundoya Mohan, a consultant haematologist at Maidstone Hospital, told Paloma in December 2023 she had an 80% chance of recovery if she had chemotherapy. Ms Shemirani blames doctors for her daughter's death.
