A Cambridge University graduate who died after refusing chemotherapy told a court she was an “anti-vaxxer” and always turned to her mother first for health advice, an inquest in England heard.
Paloma Shemirani (23) died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, England, on July 24, 2024, after refusing treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Her mother, Kay “Kate” Shemirani, rose to prominence on social media when she shared conspiracy theories about COVID-19, an inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone, Kent, previously heard.
In written submissions to the High Court Family Division in London in spring 2024, Paloma said she refused chemotherapy partly because of her “expertise in natural healing”, the inquest heard on Monday.
The hearing, which involved representatives from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, looked into the appropriateness of her treatment, and Paloma said she was “delighted” with the alternative treatment and “confident” she would make a “full recovery” if it went ahead.
In statements read out by Alison Hewitt's lawyer, she also alleged her human rights had been violated by health workers.
Ms Shemirani, who attended the inquest via video link, wept and held up photographs of Paloma to the camera as they were read out.
It said: “I am far from being a vulnerable young man. Apart from becoming independent after moving to Cambridge for university, I followed the same principles with which I grew up.”
“I have always been very concerned about my health: I eat only organic products, cook all my food myself and never drink or cook with tap water.
“I have never taken drugs, despite pressure, and I rarely drink alcohol.
“Whenever I was sick, I always turned to my mother first for advice, as she is an experienced nurse and a qualified nutritionist.
“I am almost fanatical about my health and my close friends know me as a staunch believer in all proven methods of natural healing.”
She also described her mother as “an extremely strong advocate of natural health” who is “misquoted” by people who claim “these natural solutions are conspiracy theories.”
Ms Shemirani was dismissed as a nurse in 2021 after a committee of the UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) concluded she had spread misinformation about COVID-19 that “exposed the public to significant risk of harm”, an inquiry previously heard.
Another statement on behalf of Paloma added: “My friends know me as a staunch supporter of the Gerson Therapy” and that she is “anti-vaxxer.”
She said she had sought Gerson therapy as a form of treatment on the advice of her mother's ex-fiance, Dr. Patrick Willers, and that at age 15 she spent three weeks at his camp in Mexico where the therapy was practiced.
The Gerson Therapy involves a strict organic vegetarian diet and enemas and is used to treat cancer, although Cancer Research UK says there is no scientific evidence it can be used to treat cancer.
Her doctor is also monitoring her blood tests and health, she said.
The former Cambridge student continued to deny having the disease, saying: “I have never been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma… I have never had a shadow on my lung, it is an absurd fantasy with no evidence.”
She described the diagnosis as “presumptive and unconfirmed” and said “differential diagnosis” only meant that cancer could not be ruled out.
The inquest heard that Paloma knew her chances of surviving the standard R-CHOP procedure she was offered were one in five and feared she would likely remain infertile.
“I don't want to undergo such a cruel treatment that could even kill me when there is a chance it is not cancer,” she said.
The High Court's application alleged multiple human rights violations against her, including Articles 3, 6 and 8, and possibly Articles 1, 5 and 12.
“I, like others who helped me, especially my mother, are so shocked that this could happen today,” the statement said.
“They were put in place permanently to prevent what Dr. Mengele did during World War II. How could that happen today?” it continues.
The infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele conducted experiments on his victims at Auschwitz.
The patient reported that the symptoms she had presented to the hospital with, including a swollen face, excruciating chest pain and an inability to move her arm, had subsided.
Coroner Catherine Wood reprimanded Ms Shemirani several times during the inquest.
Ms Shemirani cross-examined Dr Amit Goel, a consultant histopathologist at Maidstone Hospital, who carried out the biopsy.
She repeatedly pointed out to him that not enough tissue had been taken to perform a FISH test, which could have ruled out other diseases and changed Paloma's treatment plan.
The doctor denied that this could have had a multiplier effect on Paloma's treatment, and the coroner told Ms Shemirani that the inquest was trying to find out “how Paloma came to her death” but “you appear to be trying to get information that is incorrect, factually incorrect in your statements.”
“I think your questions are just designed to waste time and prolong the resolution of the issues because you ask them over and over again,” she added.
The mother accused the participants of mispronouncing her name, which eventually prompted Ms Wood to say: “I will stand up to make Ms Shemirani think about her behaviour in court, it is unacceptable.”
“Let's take a break to let things cool down because you're clearly getting hung up on the details.”
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At the beginning of the hearing, Ms. Shemirani filed a motion to remove her lawyer.
The coroner rejected the application and said he had seen “hundreds of emails sent” and that “you have at various times asked everyone to recuse themselves,” including the coroner himself.
The investigation is ongoing.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
