A 23-year-old woman who rejected chemotherapy for cancer treatment died of a heart attack caused by her tumor, an inquest has revealed.
Paloma Shemirani, who had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, passed away at the Royal Sussex County Hospital on July 24, 2024. The inquest, held at Oakwood House in Maidstone, Kent, heard that Paloma had refused treatment, citing her anti-vaccine views and a distrust of conventional medicine.
Her mother, Kate Shemirani — a former nurse known for spreading COVID-19 conspiracy theories — claimed that medical interventions were responsible for her daughter’s death. Paloma, who grew up in Uckfield, East Sussex, had questioned the legitimacy of her diagnosis and said there was “no proof” she had cancer, calling it “an absurd fantasy.”
In statements submitted to the High Court’s family division in spring 2024 and read at the inquest, Paloma said her human rights had been violated by NHS practitioners. She likened her experience to Nazi-era experiments, referencing Auschwitz.
A graduate of Cambridge University with an interest in “natural healing,” Paloma said she feared chemotherapy would make her infertile or even kill her. “I do not want to undergo such a harsh treatment… when there is a possibility this is not cancer,” she wrote.
She also described her mother — who was struck off the nursing register in 2021 — as a “forceful advocate for natural health,” and claimed she was often misrepresented.
Paloma opted instead for Gerson therapy, a controversial alternative treatment involving a strict organic vegetarian diet and regular enemas. The therapy was recommended by her mother’s former fiancé, Dr. Patrick Villers. However, Cancer Research UK has stated there is no scientific evidence that Gerson therapy is effective against cancer.
During the proceedings, it was noted that Paloma believed she was improving and expressed confidence that she would fully recover if allowed to continue with alternative treatment. The inquest is also examining the role of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in her care.
