An anti-vaxxer mother who has been blamed for her daughter’s death from cancer after influencing her to refuse conventional cancer treatments argued with doctors at her inquest today – and immediately doubled down on her controversial beliefs.
Cambridge graduate and model Paloma Shemirani died last July after refusing medical assistance for her treatable non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of blood cancer.
Paloma, 23, was the daughter of Kate Shemirani, a notorious anti-vaxxer who was struck off the UK’s nursing register in 2021 for her extreme anti-medicine views, including discouraging the use of masks and vaccines during Covid.
As an inquest into Paloma’s death opened this morning, Mrs Shemirani joined the Coroner’s court online – and immediately indicated she is apparently unrepentant on her outspoken opinions.
Mrs Shemirani referred to her daughter’s cancer as a ‘purported diagnosis’ as she argued with Coroner Catherine Wood about what evidence should be heard at the Kent inquest.
Mrs Shemirani, wearing a lilac dress with white flowers with her blonde hair pinned up in a neat bun, repeatedly interrupted proceedings to make points.
Despite initially having been given a positive prognosis that she could survive her condition, former Miss Brighton finalist Paloma died just seven months after her diagnosis after refusing help.
Her two brothers and her former boyfriend have both since gone on record to claim Paloma had been coerced by her mother into refusing medical help – a claim their mother has denied.
Paloma’s twin brother Gabriel and former boyfriend Ander attended in person at Oakwood House in Maidstone.
Today, Paloma’s inquest heard from haematology consultant Dr Mohan who detailed how the young woman was diagnosed and how a treatment plan was created.
The coroner’s court heard that Paloma was first admitted to A&E on October 4 2023 with chest pain, a fever and a lump in the neck.
She was then admitted on December 3 and was put forward for an emergency CT scan the next day.
After a biopsy was also taken, Paloma was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma with a large mass being found near her sternum.
While the consultant was asked about scans from radiology Mrs Shemirani shouted ‘I’d like to object’ to which the coroner told her she could not object to a witness statement.
Dr Arunodaya Mohen said that as part of a standard treatment plan Paloma was advised to start six cycles of chemotherapy – each lasting 14 days.
Steroids would also be provided, with radiotherapy and stents being considered later down the line.
The doctor said side effects of the treatment, which could have been taken as an inpatient or outpatient, include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, changes to nails and the production of ‘tumour lives’ which can produce toxins and affect chemicals in the body.
Dr Mohen added: ‘Chemotherapy can affect fertility so we offered Paloma full fertility preservation before she went ahead with chemotherapy.
‘We had a discussion regarding on fertility and we discussed a referral to a tertiary centre. And she was happy to go ahead with the fertility preservation and we discussed the pet scan.
‘At that point I don’t think I had any concerns [about her capacity]. We went through the management plan at that time and that’s when we gave her the cure rate of 80 per cent during that conversation.’
At this stage, Paloma’s cancer was considered to be a stage one mass and due to her age and extent of the disease she had a good chance of survival.
Her doctor said: ‘She was very low risk and had an 80 per cent chance of survival which is an excellent cure rate.’
After first meeting with Paloma on December 22nd, Dr Mohan had discussed treatment options and a potential PET scan with Paloma to which she is said to have nodded in agreement.
Yet the next day Paloma appeared to have changed her mind and was exploring ‘unconventional’ treatment options.
The consultant said she had been surprised when Paloma said that she would not be continuing treatment.
Dr Mohan added: ‘It was not expected that she was not going ahead with the treatment.
‘She said she hadn’t made up her mind yet and she might be cancelling her treatment. I can’t remember what treatment that was in favour of but it wasn’t a conventional treatment.
‘She would not disclose why she was worried about the treatment but I did ask her and my team was worried that she might not undergo treatment.’
Dr Mohan said she had only had one conversation with Paloma’s mother over the phone and had not discussed Mrs Shemirani being Paloma’s power of attorney.
She said Mrs Shemirani had repeated Paloma’s concerns about the side effects of steroids and said ‘she wasn’t happy with the Pet scan’.
Dr Mohan added: ‘I said we would ask Paloma what she wanted and if she decided this treatment I will go in that direction.
‘We thought at the time she had full capacity in what was going on. I didn’t even want to talk to mum as I didn’t think it was helpful.’
It’s understood that Paloma’s father Faramarz also believes in conspiracy theories, but is divorced and living separately to her mother. He did not attend today’s hearing either online or in person.
Gabriel and his brother Sebastian went public last month claiming their sister died because she refused conventional chemotherapy treatment.
The brothers said that doctors gave Paloma an 80 per cent chance of survival but rejected the treatment because of pressure from her mother whom she had been trying to improve her relationship with.
They claimed that Kate, whose real name is Kay, had sought to isolate her only daughter from her family, boyfriend and friends with Paloma even sending messages that she was being ‘abused’ by her mother. Her mother denies this.
Kate, who describes herself as a ‘natural nurse’ to her 80,000 followers on Elon Musk’s X, believes in ‘Gerson therapy’ – a belief that a vegan diet, natural juices, coffee enemas and supplements can cure cancer.
Paloma had been following the Gerson therapy plan when she suffered a cardiac arrest while at her mother’s house.
She died a few days later when her life support was switched off at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
Ahead of the opening of the inquest today Gabriel and his older brother Sebastian, 26, are calling for the law to be changed to include conspiracy theories as a means of coercive control.
They are calling for the change as they believe despite Paloma being an adult she was not in a position to refuse treatment due to coercion from her parents who both push conspiracy theories.
Speaking ahead of the inquest, Sebastian, who splits his time between Hong Kong and Georgia told The Sunday Times: ‘If someone is rejecting cancer treatment for non-terminal cancer, that is evidence that they are not making the right decisions.’
The brothers are also calling for it to be made illegal that unqualified or unregistered people call themselves ‘doctors or nurses’.
The inquest continues.
