A Cambridge University graduate died after refusing chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with a coroner ruling that her mother's influence 'more than minimally' contributed to her death. Paloma Shemirani, 23, passed away in July 2024 despite doctors giving her an 80% chance of recovery with conventional treatment.
At an inquest in Maidstone, coroner Catherine Wood stated that if Paloma had been supported to accept her diagnosis and consider chemotherapy with an open mind, she 'probably would have followed that course'. Wood noted that her mother, Kay Shemirani, a former nurse struck off for spreading Covid-19 misinformation, 'took a leading role in advising Paloma in respect of and facilitating access to alternative treatments'.
Consultant haematologist Arunodaya Mohan told the court that Paloma initially agreed to steroids and a PET scan but later declined chemotherapy after being discharged from hospital. Mohan expressed concern that Kay Shemirani was influencing her daughter, though Paloma insisted the decision was her own. Paloma had been estranged from her mother until her diagnosis, after which she moved in with her.
In written statements to the High Court, Paloma said she declined chemotherapy partly due to her 'background in natural healing' and that she always turned to her mother for advice. She expressed confidence in alternative treatments and believed she would make a full recovery. Her twin brother, Gabriel, initiated court proceedings seeking assessment of her care options, but Paloma died before they concluded.
Gabriel Shemirani told the inquest he blamed his mother entirely for his sister's death, saying she 'sacrificed Paloma's life for her own principles'. The coroner concluded that Paloma would have chosen survival if approached with an open mind, and that chemotherapy would likely have saved her life.
