Conspiracy theorist mother ‘influenced’ daughter to reject chemotherapy after she was diagnosed with cancer
Cambridge grad who died after refusing chemotherapy was ‘influenced’ by conspiracy theorist mother
- A coroner concluded that Paloma Shemirani, 23, who died after refusing chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, was "adversely influenced" by her mother's conspiracy theory views.
- Her mother, Kate Shemirani, a struck-off nurse known for spreading anti-vaccine misinformation, took a "leading role" in pursuing "alternative treatment" for her daughter, which the coroner found "incomprehensible".
- Paloma's twin brother, Gabriel Shemirani, explicitly blamed his mother for his sister's death, stating she "sacrificed Paloma’s life for her own principles" by obstructing her treatment.
- The inquest heard that Paloma's parents pressured her against conventional medicine, with her father sending messages like "Don’t consent to anything from the doctors, they try and kill you".
- Despite Cambridge graduate Paloma showing mental capacity, the coroner determined she was "extremely vulnerable" and criticised her mother's "utterly groundless assertions" regarding the cause of death and allegations against medical staff.