Latest news with #chemotherapy
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
My anti-vax mother 'sacrificed' my cancer-stricken sister by telling her not to have chemotherapy... she is responsible for her death, son tells inquest
The brother of a woman who died after refusing chemotherapy told an inquest his conspiracy theorist mother 'sacrificed' his sister 'for her own principles' by advising her not to seek treatment. Paloma Shemirani, 23, died at Royal Sussex County Hospital on July 24 last year after declining the treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Her mother, Kay 'Kate' Shemirani - who rose to prominence on social media while sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories, is alleged to have been 'abusive' to her children and was involved in Paloma's alternative 'treatment programme'. Paloma's twin brother, Gabriel Shemirani, told the inquest at Kent and Medway Coroners Court, in Maidstone: 'I blame my mother entirely for my sister's death', by 'obstructing' his sister from receiving treatment. 'In short I believe that she sacrificed Paloma's life for her own principles, I believe that she should be held accountable for Paloma's death,' said Mr Shemirani. Ms Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021, 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'. Mr Shemirani's parents split in 2014 after a relationship which had involved domestic abuse 'both ways', he told the court. He alleged that he and his siblings 'felt unsafe' around their mother and that she had been 'emotionally distant' and physically abusive to them as children. He further alleged during his evidence that his father, Doctor Faramarz Shemirani, was also physically abusive to him and his brother. At the time of Paloma's cancer diagnosis in autumn 2023, she was estranged from her mother, who then advised her against conventional medicine, the court heard. Mr Shemirani said: 'Paloma had a complicated relationship with our mother, maybe it is because she had a complicated relationship that she decided to rekindle that relationship when she became ill. 'In my opinion, Kay Shemirani directed her resentment that she held towards my other siblings and I towards Paloma.' Mr Shemirani brought a High Court case to assess his sister's ability to exert her capacity to take medical decisions while living with her mother in April 2024. He claimed that when Paloma was first diagnosed, she was considering chemotherapy, before their parents started to pressure her against it. Her father sent a message to his daughter saying 'don't consent to anything from the doctors they try and kill you' and that Ms Shemirani had said 'I'm the only one that can help you, don't bite the hand that feeds', the inquest heard. 'There was no disagreement from her that this was cancer, she never expressed that to me and she never expressed it to doctors either,' said Mr Shemirani. His parents asked questions as interested persons which alleged that Mr Shemirani was influenced and funded by others to bring the High Court case and that his actions were a factor in Paloma's death during his evidence. 'My sister didn't die from stress from the court case, my sister died from cancer and I think that's clear,' said Mr Shemirani. Before the High Court case, Mr Shemirani also referred the situation to social services but he felt they were 'slow moving', the court heard. He added that his younger sister had been taken away from their mother when she was 16 and that the case was 'only driven by my love and concern for my twin sister'. Dr Shemirani claimed his son was an 'irrational' and 'unreliable witness', and that his actions had been a 'major contributing' factor to her death. 'This is not a public forum to air grievances,' Coroner Catherine Wood said. 'I don't have any aggrievances, I don't have any aggrievances,' Dr Shemirani said. 'Sounds like it,' Mr Shemirani responded. When his questions concluded, Dr Shemirani said: 'Finally may our lord almighty exercise you from the demons that possess you amen.' Previously, Dr Ali Ajaz, a forensic psychiatrist, provided an assessment of Paloma during High Court proceedings which read: 'I have no concerns that Ms Shemirani has been coerced or unduly influenced by any individual when making a decision about her own medical treatment.' Mr Shemirani asserted that Dr Ajaz's sessions with his sister were 'coloured by my mother's control', which the doctor said was speculation. On Wednesday afternoon, Mr Shemirani told the court that his sister was terrified of cancer, but used gallows humour as a defence mechanism. 'Are you a psychologist Gabriel?' his mother asked him. 'Are you a nurse?' he replied. The inquest continues.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
ImmuneOnco Announced Preliminary Safety & Efficacy Data from the Clinical Trial Studying IMM2510/AXN-2510, a PD-L1xVEGF Bispecific Antibody, in Combination with Chemotherapy in Front-line NSCLC in China
Partial responses observed in 80% of squamous NSCLC front-line patients and in 46% of non-squamous NSCLC front-line patients Safety profile supports further clinical development, with no dose-limiting toxicities observed in patients with front-line NSCLC ImmuneOnco expects to present updated safety and efficacy data at a future medical conference DALLAS and SHANGHAI, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Instil Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: TIL, 'Instil') noted that ImmuneOnco Biopharmaceuticals (Shanghai) Inc. (HKEX Code: ('ImmuneOnco'), today announced preliminary safety and efficacy data from the Phase 2 open-label, multicenter study of IMM2510/AXN-2510 ('2510) in combination with chemotherapy for front-line patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) conducted in China by ImmuneOnco. As of July 1, 2025, 33 patients were dosed at 10 mg/kg, with 21 patients having at least one tumor assessment (efficacy evaluable). Partial responses were observed in 62% of efficacy evaluable patients, comprising partial responses in 80% (8/10) of patients with squamous NSCLC and 46% (5/11) of patients with non-squamous NSCLC. The majority of efficacy evaluable patients had only one tumor assessment at data cut-off. ImmuneOnco expects to present safety and efficacy data in the '2510 chemotherapy combination trial in front-line NSCLC at a future medical conference. The '2510 safety profile supports further clinical development, with no dose-limiting toxicities observed in the 33 safety evaluable patients. In these patients, there were no treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) leading to dose reduction or death, and only one TRAE leading to drug discontinuation. The most common Grade 3+ TRAEs were hematologic, with uncommon clinical sequelae. Adverse events typically associated with VEGF inhibition (e.g., hypertension, proteinuria, hemoptysis) and immune-related adverse events were uncommon and generally low-grade, and infusion-related reactions were nearly all low-grade. ''2510 has demonstrated early but compelling activity in front-line NSCLC patients,' said Professor Caicun Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Department of Oncology at Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, and lead investigator on the study of '2510 in 1L NSCLC. 'The PD-(L)1xVEGF bispecific class has the potential to become the new standard of care for front-line NSCLC, and I look forward to the generation of additional data with '2510 in this setting.' Dr. Tian Wenzhi, CEO of ImmuneOnco, said 'We are delighted to witness the progress of '2510 in front-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This data paves the way for its advancement into Phase 3 clinical studies and provides valuable insights to support further research across multiple indications.' 'We are pleased with the preliminary clinical results of the combination of '2510 with chemotherapy in patients with front-line NSCLC, which suggest the potential for best-in-class efficacy in the promising PD-(L)1xVEGF bispecific antibody class,' said Bronson Crouch, CEO of Instil. 'We look forward to further public updates from ImmuneOnco on these data, as well as the initiation of our previously announced US phase 1 clinical trial before the end of this year.' About IMM2510/AXN-2510IMM2510/AXN-2510 is a PD-L1xVEGF bispecific antibody in development for the treatment of multiple solid tumors. IMM2510/AXN-2510 is differentiated from other PD-(L)1xVEGF bispecific antibodies by its VEGF trap, which binds multiple VEGF receptor ligands beyond VEGF-A, a bispecific structure which leverages PD-L1 as an anchor in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) to direct killing of PD-L1-positive tumor cells. About ImmuneOncoImmuneOnco is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on discovery and development of biologics to treat cancers, autoimmune diseases and metabolic diseases. With 10+ assets all originated in-house and the most advanced asset in phase III right now, ImmuneOnco is pursuing innovative therapies to improve patients' health. For more information visit About Instil BioInstil Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a pipeline of novel therapies. Instil's lead asset, AXN-2510, is a novel and differentiated PD-L1xVEGF bispecific antibody in development for the treatment of multiple solid tumors. For more information, visit Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'anticipates,' 'believes,' 'expects,' 'future,' 'intends,' 'may,' 'plans,' 'potential,' 'targets' and 'will' or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include express or implied statements regarding our expectations with respect to the therapeutic potential, safety and efficacy profile, and clinical development of IMM2510/AXN-2510, including timing of initiation of a clinical trial in the United States, additional clinical trials and expansion into additional indications, the generation and presentation of clinical data from clinical trials, and other statements that are not historical fact. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties associated with the costly and time-consuming drug product development process and the uncertainty of clinical success; the risks inherent in relying on collaborators and other third parties, including for generating clinical data, and the ability to rely on any such data from clinical trials in China in regulatory filings submitted to regulatory authorities outside of China; the risks and uncertainties related to successfully making regulatory submissions and initiating, enrolling, completing and reporting data from clinical trials, as well as the risks that results obtained in any clinical trials to date, including preliminary clinical data, may not be indicative of final results in such clinical trials or results obtained in ongoing or future trials and that product candidates may otherwise not be effective treatments in their planned indications; risks related to macroeconomic conditions, including as a result of international conflicts and U.S.-China trade and political tensions, as well as interest rates, inflation, tariffs and other factors, which could materially and adversely affect our business and operations and those of our collaborators; the risks and uncertainties associated with the time-consuming and uncertain regulatory approval process; and other risks and uncertainties affecting Instil's plans and development programs, including those discussed in the section titled 'Risk Factors' in Instil's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 filed with the SEC, as well as Instil's other filings with the SEC. Additional information will be made available in other filings that Instil makes from time to time with the SEC. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as the date hereof, and Instil disclaims any obligation to update these statements except as may be required by law. Contacts:Investor Relations:1-972-499-3350investorrelations@
The Sun
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Mum ‘sacrificed' daughter for anti-vax principles, says twin of woman, 23, who died after refusing chemo for cancer
THE twin of Paloma Shemirani, who passed away after refusing chemotherapy for cancer claims his conspiracy theorist mum "sacrificed" his sister "for her own principles". The 23-year-old University of Cambridge graduate died at Royal Sussex County Hospital on July 24 last year of a fatal heart attack. 9 9 9 Just months earlier, she had declined treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma - a type of blood cancer which starts in the lymph nodes. At the time, doctors told Paloma, who was originally from Uckfield in East Sussex, she her cancer was "treatable" and that she had an 80 per cent chance of recovery with chemotherapy. Yet, she refused it. Her mum, Kay "Kate" Shemirani, who rose to prominence on social media while sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories, is alleged to have been "abusive" to her children and was involved in her daughter's alternative "treatment programme". Paloma's twin brother, Gabriel Shemirani, told an inquest into her death at Kent and Medway Coroners Court, in Maidstone: "I blame my mother entirely for my sister's death", by "obstructing" his sister from receiving treatment. "In short, I believe that she sacrificed Paloma's life for her own principles, I believe that she should be held accountable for Paloma's death," said Gabriel. Kate was struck off as a nurse in 2021, 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". Gabriel's parents split in 2014 after a relationship which had involved domestic abuse "both ways", he told the court. He alleged that he and his siblings "felt unsafe" around their mother and that she had been "emotionally distant" and physically abusive to them as children. He further alleged during his evidence that his father, Doctor Faramarz Shemirani, was also physically abusive to him and his brother. At the time of Paloma's cancer diagnosis in autumn 2023, she was estranged from her mother, who then advised her against conventional medicine, the court heard. Gabriel said: "Paloma had a complicated relationship with our mother, maybe it is because she had a complicated relationship that she decided to rekindle that relationship when she became ill. "In my opinion, Kay Shemirani directed her resentment that she held towards my other siblings and I towards Paloma." 'Pressure' from parents Gabriel brought a High Court case to assess his sister's ability to exert her capacity to take medical decisions while living with her mother in April 2024. He claimed that when Paloma was first diagnosed, she was considering chemotherapy, before their parents started to pressure her against it. Her father sent a message to his daughter saying: "Don't consent to anything from the doctors they try and kill you". And that Kate had said: "I'm the only one that can help you, don't bite the hand that feeds", the inquest heard. "There was no disagreement from her that this was cancer, she never expressed that to me and she never expressed it to doctors either," said Gabriel. His parents asked questions as interested persons which alleged that Gabriel was influenced and funded by others to bring the High Court case and that his actions were a factor in Paloma's death during his evidence. "My sister didn't die from stress from the court case, my sister died from cancer and I think that's clear," said Gabriel. 9 9 Before the High Court case, Gabriel also referred the situation to social services but he felt they were "slow moving", the court heard. He added that his younger sister had been taken away from their mother when she was 16 and that the case was "only driven by my love and concern for my twin sister". The father claimed his son was an "irrational" and "unreliable witness", and that his actions had been a "major contributing" factor to her death. "This is not a public forum to air grievances," Coroner Catherine Wood said. "I don't have any aggrievances, I don't have any aggrievances," Dr Shemirani said. "Sounds like it," Gabriel responded. When his questions concluded, Faramarz said: "Finally may our lord almighty exercise you from the demons that possess you amen." 9 9 Previously, Dr Ali Ajaz, a forensic psychiatrist, provided an assessment of Paloma during High Court proceedings which read: "I have no concerns that Ms Shemirani (Paloma) has been coerced or unduly influenced by any individual when making a decision about her own medical treatment." Gabriel asserted that Dr Ajaz's sessions with his sister were "coloured by my mother's control", which the doctor said was speculation. On Wednesday afternoon, Gabriel told the court that his sister was terrified of cancer, but used gallows humour as a defence mechanism. "Are you a psychologist, Gabriel?" his mother asked him. "Are you a nurse?" he replied. Alternative treatments Meanwhile, an osteopath who saw Paloma shortly before her death has told her inquest he had "never seen anything like it. He said that when he inspected her he could feel lumps in her right shoulder going all the way up into her neck. Days before, she visited Nick Gosset on the instructions of her mother Kate. Nick told the hearing that he felt "deeply aggrieved" to have been put in a professional position of trying to treat Paloma by Kate when there was clear advice from her GP to go to A&E. He said that Paloma had come to him complaining about shortness of breath and that he could only offer her palliative treatment at that stage as she was " in the last stages of a very difficult disease". "It was obvious to me that I was not the right person to be helping her, normally you see a patient like that you would refer her (to a GP)," he said. "I was left with no good choices and the only choice I felt I had at the time was to offer her the opportunity to return where I might be able to persuade her of the importance of seeking further medical support," he added. Nick said that any referral to a GP was "refused" and all suggestions of going through "normal medical channels" were "dismissed". Kate told the court that she did not believe the osteopath had that conversation with her daughter, as they were "very close" and Paloma did not tell her after the session. Nick then explained he would have offered to treat her again in the vain hope of possibly persuading her to seek help elsewhere, adding he had been "horrified" to learn she had subsequently died. At the same inquest on a previous day, Paloma's brother revealed she had been having coffee enemas as part of her devised Gerson therapy treatment plan. 9 Gerson therapy involves a strict organic vegetarian diet and enemas and has been used in cancer treatment - but Cancer Research UK says that there is no scientific evidence supporting it. A coffee enema is a type of colon cleanse in alternative medicine. It involves injecting a mixture of brewed, caffeinated coffee and water into the colon through the rectum. Some coffee enema supporters claim the procedure can offer a number of health benefits, including treating cancer. But scientific evidence for its effectiveness is limited. Also at the inquest was Linda Scotson who said she was qualified in hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), the BBC said. HBOT is a treatment where people breathe pure oxygen in a high-pressure chamber. Some people claim it can fight cancer, but there's no strong scientific evidence that it can treat or cure the disease. While oxygen can support healthy tissue, it doesn't specifically target or kill cancer cells. Major cancer organisations like Cancer Research do not recommend HBOT as a standalone cancer treatment. She said Paloma had not been sure she had cancer and was aiming to "improve her immediate quality of life", after which she had claimed to feel "better in herself". Asked by Kate Shemirani if she had seen others in Paloma's situation coming to her centre, Linda replied: "We have people with a whole variety of problems, such as ME, Long Covid, sprains and fractures. "It's amazing what a little extra oxygen can do for the body. You are lifting stress." Paloma's twin brother Gabriel also asked her: "Did you explicitly tell her this will not treat her cancer?" Linda said: "She knew it wasn't treating her cancer in a direct way. I was treating her whole body and her wellbeing." When asked by Gabriel if she had left it "deliberately vague", she replied: "I never said I was treating her cancer and she wasn't certain that she had cancer." The inquest continues. 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
The Independent
5 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Dad's warning after smell of bleach led to devastating tumour diagnosis
An unusual symptom – the overwhelming smell of bleach – led to a devastating diagnosis for a father-of-two, who is now urging others in similar positions to "hold on to hope and positivity in whatever way you can". Sam Suriakumar, 40, who lives in Worcester Park, south London, with his wife, Sindhu, 39, and their two daughters, Avaana, 10, and Arya, eight. While in his bathroom, the sudden scent of a cleaning agent "almost filled up (his) mouth", leaving him feeling dizzy. Initially dismissing the smell as if his wife had recently cleaned, the self-employed recruitment consultant and musician, an avid gym-goer, experienced the strong smell and dizziness again during a workout the following day. On his journey home, Mr Suriakumar suffered a "massive grand mal seizure" on the London Underground, so severe it dislocated his shoulder. He was rushed to hospital for tests, where a "large shadow" was discovered on the left side of his brain. Mr Suriakumar was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour on 4 February, 2020. While the mass was stable for around two years, Sam was informed it had grown towards the front of his brain in 2023, which 'knocked (him) off (his) feet'. As the tumour sits on the areas responsible for his speech, memories and movement, making it near-impossible to operate, Sam underwent 30 sessions of radiotherapy and nine months of chemotherapy treatment to try to suppress its growth – and he is now in a monitoring phase, receiving scans every six months. Sam celebrated his 40th birthday on July 26, a milestone he did not think he would reach, and he has tried to turn his situation into 'something positive' with the aim of providing encouragement and inspiration to others. 'I'm trying to use my experience to inspire people and turn this into something positive, rather than letting it define me as this poor guy with a sad story,' Sam told PA Real Life. 'I want to provide encouragement and inspiration to others, in that we can fight and we don't have to let it define us. 'Hold on to hope and positivity in whatever way you can.' The day before his diagnosis on February 3 2020, Sam was at home in his bathroom when he started to smell bleach – but he assumed his wife had recently cleaned. 'The smell of ammonia, bleach or some sort of cleaning agent was almost filling up my mouth, it was really strong,' he recalled. 'I felt like I needed to lean against the wall and use the radiator to stand, I felt very strange.' Not thinking too much of it, Sam carried out his usual activities the following day, where he had a gym session in the morning. While lifting a heavy weight, he said 'the cleaning agent smell just all of a sudden hit me, it completely enclosed everything', and he felt 'very dizzy'. Later that day on his commute home from work, Sam recalled feeling 'drained of energy' while sitting on the Northern line of the London Underground. 'I closed my eyes and it felt like half an hour went by, but we had only moved one stop,' he said. Sam said he closed his eyes once more and he does not remember the following 48 hours, waking up again in hospital. Recalled to him by paramedics, station staff and those treating him at St George's Hospital in Tooting, Sam had suffered with a 'massive grand mal seizure' while on the Tube. 'I'd seized up so bad that I dislocated my shoulder,' he said. Sam was rushed to hospital, having two more seizures in the ambulance, before a series of tests were conducted – such as CT scans, MRI scans and a lumbar puncture. He said one of his CT scans showed 'quite a large shadow' across the left side of his brain. Sam's 'world spiralled out of control' when he was informed he had a brain tumour, a suspected low grade glioma, on February 4 2020. 'My mind went straight to my girls, who were only three and five at the time,' Sam said. 'All of a sudden, your priorities become very clear.' The tumour would be difficult to operate on, Sam said, as it covers the parts of his brain responsible for speech, movement and memories. Sam added he was in the 'best shape' of his life at the time, and his neurosurgeon, who he has since formed a 'great relationship' with, suggested they start by tackling his symptoms, the seizures, rather than attack the tumour itself. 'It was a case of not wanting to poke the bear,' Sam said. His tumour was monitored in regular scans for two years where it appeared to be in a stable state, and he had not suffered with any more seizures. He was advised to keep himself in a positive and hopeful mindset and to build a strong support system around him. During this time, Sam tackled the 2023 London Marathon to raise money for Brain Tumour Research, and he has taken on other fundraising activities to raise around £60,000 for charity to date. In a bid to raise awareness, he also became a supporter ambassador for Brain Tumour Research in 2023, which has taken him into public speaking to share his journey. However, while in Brazil in July 2023 for a wedding, Sam received a sobering call from his neurosurgeon to say a recent scan had shown 'a new area of growth' on his tumour, and it was now time to use further treatment measures. 'It knocked me off my feet,' Sam said. He underwent a biopsy on his tumour in August 2023 – where it was officially diagnosed as a diffuse oligodendroglioma, a type of glioma which is often benign, but some can be cancerous. Two weeks later, he started 30 sessions of radiotherapy at the the Royal Marsden Hospital. This was followed by nine months of chemotherapy treatment, which Sam completed in September 2024. Determined to keep pushing himself, Sam completed the HYROX indoor fitness competition in Belgium just six months after he finished treatment – tackling eight kilometres of running and eight functional workout exercises. His tumour is now in a monitoring phase, and Sam will have scans every six months to better understand the impacts of the treatment. He said he is now 'sitting on the fence' between his tumour being low grade and benign or high grade and cancerous, saying the aim is to keep it 'suppressed as much as possible'. Sam celebrated his 40th birthday on July 26, a milestone he did not expect to reach. 'Brain tumours are the biggest killers of children and adults before the age of 40, so it was a big deal for me,' he said. For others in his situation, Sam said he would send them a 'massive hug'. 'Your brain talks to every single part of your body and it's so important to have a positive mindset,' he said. 'It's not going to come every single day, but try to find those things that inspire and encourage you to help you move forward.'
The Independent
15 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Twin brother of woman who refused chemotherapy says mother ‘sacrificed' her daughter
The twin brother of a woman who died after refusing chemotherapy told an inquest his conspiracy theorist mother 'sacrificed' his sister 'for her own principles' by advising her not to seek treatment. Paloma Shemirani, 23, died at Royal Sussex County Hospital on July 24 last year after declining the treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Her mother, Kay 'Kate' Shemirani – who rose to prominence on social media while sharing Covid -19 conspiracy theories, is alleged to have been 'abusive' to her children and was involved in Paloma's alternative 'treatment programme'. Paloma's twin brother, Gabriel Shemirani, told the inquest at Kent and Medway Coroners Court, in Maidstone: 'I blame my mother entirely for my sister's death', by 'obstructing' his sister from receiving treatment. 'In short I believe that she sacrificed Paloma's life for her own principles, I believe that she should be held accountable for Paloma's death,' said Mr Shemirani. Ms Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021, 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'. Mr Shemirani's parents split in 2014 after a relationship which had involved domestic abuse 'both ways', he told the court. He alleged that he and his siblings 'felt unsafe' around their mother and that she had been 'emotionally distant' and physically abusive to them as children. He further alleged during his evidence that his father, Doctor Faramarz Shemirani, was also physically abusive to him and his brother. At the time of Paloma's cancer diagnosis in autumn 2023, she was estranged from her mother, who then advised her against conventional medicine, the court heard. Mr Shemirani said: 'Paloma had a complicated relationship with our mother, maybe it is because she had a complicated relationship that she decided to rekindle that relationship when she became ill. 'In my opinion, Kay Shemirani directed her resentment that she held towards my other siblings and I towards Paloma.' Mr Shemirani brought a High Court case to assess his sister's ability to exert her capacity to take medical decisions while living with her mother in April 2024. He claimed that when Paloma was first diagnosed, she was considering chemotherapy, before their parents started to pressure her against it. Her father sent a message to his daughter saying 'don't consent to anything from the doctors they try and kill you' and that Ms Shemirani had said 'I'm the only one that can help you, don't bite the hand that feeds', the inquest heard. 'There was no disagreement from her that this was cancer, she never expressed that to me and she never expressed it to doctors either,' said Mr Shemirani. His parents asked questions as interested persons which alleged that Mr Shemirani was influenced and funded by others to bring the High Court case and that his actions were a factor in Paloma's death during his evidence. 'My sister didn't die from stress from the court case, my sister died from cancer and I think that's clear,' said Mr Shemirani. Before the High Court case, Mr Shemirani also referred the situation to social services but he felt they were 'slow moving', the court heard. He added that his younger sister had been taken away from their mother when she was 16 and that the case was 'only driven by my love and concern for my twin sister'. Dr Shemirani claimed his son was an 'irrational' and 'unreliable witness', and that his actions had been a 'major contributing' factor to her death. 'This is not a public forum to air grievances,' Coroner Catherine Wood said. 'I don't have any aggrievances, I don't have any aggrievances,' Dr Shemirani said. 'Sounds like it,' Mr Shemirani responded. When his questions concluded, Dr Shemirani said: 'Finally may our lord almighty exercise you from the demons that possess you amen.' Previously, Dr Ali Ajaz, a forensic psychiatrist, provided an assessment of Paloma during High Court proceedings which read: 'I have no concerns that Ms Shemirani has been coerced or unduly influenced by any individual when making a decision about her own medical treatment.' Mr Shemirani asserted that Dr Ajaz's sessions with his sister were 'coloured by my mother's control', which the doctor said was speculation. On Wednesday afternoon, Mr Shemirani told the court that his sister was terrified of cancer, but used gallows humour as a defence mechanism. 'Are you a psychologist Gabriel?' his mother asked him. 'Are you a nurse?' he replied. The inquest continues.
