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.

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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.

The inquest continues.