UK woman who refused cancer drugs was influenced by mother, inquest finds | Cancer

A deceased woman after refusing chemotherapy doctors thought that he would have given her a strong chance of recovery was “influenced” by her mother theorist mother, said a coroner.

Paloma Shemirani died at the age of 23 in July 2024 after refusing the conventional treatment of non -Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The coroner in his investigation said on Thursday, said that the influence of his parents, Kay and Faramarz Shemiani, “more than little” contributed to his death.

“It seems that if Paloma had been supported and encouraged to accept his diagnosis and considered chemotherapy with an open mind, she would probably have followed this course,” Catherine Wood told the court of Kent and Medway Coroner in Maidstone.

She said Kay Shemirani “played a leading role in Paloma advice with regard to and facilitating access to alternative treatments”. She added: “If she was approached with an open mind, Paloma would have chosen the possibility of surviving, and if she had undergone chemotherapy, she would probably have survived.”

An NHS doctor said to the investigation into the death of Paloma Shemirani that she concerned her mother, Kay, better known as online influencer Kate Shemirani, influenced the refusal of his daughter of cancer treatment.

Arunodaya Mohan, a consulting hematologist at Maidstone Hospital, said that she had recommended steroids and a PET (positron’s program tomography), and that Paloma had “hosted her head in agreement”.

At the time of her diagnosis, doctors at Maidstone Hospital told Paloma that she had 80% chance of chemotherapy.

The doctor said that she had spoken to Kay on the phone, saying that she had expressed several “concerns” concerning the proposed treatment. Alison Hewitt, lawyer for the survey at Oakwood House in Maidstone, Kent, asked: “Was there any concerns that Mrs. Shemirani influenced Paloma?” Mohan replied: “It’s true.” Paloma then refused to have the treatment. And, when Mohan asked why, there did not seem to be a specific reason, the investigation learned.

When asked if she had asked Paloma if her decision had been influenced by someone, Mohan said: “She was very convinced that it was her own decision and that she was not influenced.”

After graduating from Cambridge, Paloma worked and lived in an apartment with a roommate and was “far” from his mother to her diagnosis of cancer.

Paloma went to live with his mother after leaving the hospital. When asked if there was a change in Paloma’s attitude after his release, Mohan said in court: “Yes, I was very concerned because at the time of the hospital, she had not refused chemotherapy, she thought about it, but after the exit, she completely discharged the treatment, which disappointed me.”

Using the name of Kate Shemirani, Kay has taken importance on social networks while sharing the theories of the conspiracy COVVI-19. It was struck off as an infirm permanent in 2021, with a committee of the Nursing Council and midwives (NMC) concluding that it had spread a COVVI-19 disinformation which “put the public at a significant risk of damage”.

In written statements subject to the family division of the High Court in the spring of 2024, Paloma said that she had refused chemotherapy in part because of her “history in natural healing,” said the investigation previously.

The statements were written as part of the procedure initiated by his twin brother, Gabriel, and involving the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, in which he asked for an assessment of the relevance of his care options. Paloma died before being able to conclude.

Paloma wrote: “If I fell ill, I always turned to my mother first to get advice because she is a qualified nurse and qualified nutritionist.” The investigation learned that Paloma told the high court that it was “delighted” of the alternative treatment which it was pursuing, and was “sure” that it would “recover completely” if it was left to continue it.

The investigation learned that the forensic psychiatrist Ali Ajaz had spent seven sessions with Paloma on the recommendation of his mother, with whom he had a professional relationship. The doctor had appeared on Kay’s podcast as a medical expert three times, and she had referred several patients to him.

Gabriel said his mother had “sacrificed” his sister “for his own principles”. He said to the investigation: “I completely blame my mother for the death of my sister” – to “obstruct” his sister to receive treatment.

“I think she has sacrificed Paloma’s life for her own principles, I think she should be held responsible for Paloma’s death,” he said.

Kay said during the investigation procedure that his daughter’s death had been caused by a serious negligence manslaughter by medical personnel, saying that she had “deteriorated catastrophically” when paramedical paramedics intervened.

She said that her daughter had been “good” the morning when she collapsed, saying in court: “She looks healthy and a good color … She was smiling and laughed.”

After the collapse, Kay did not immediately called an ambulance, but called a friend instead, who then called the emergency services while he initiated the RCR.

During the 999 appeal in court, Kay was heard shouting: “She is dying.” Despite this, she declared in court “everything turned badly” after the arrival of paramedical paramedics.

Paloma was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on a fan, and the death of the brainstem was declared in the afternoon of July 24, 2024 after a series of medical checks recommended at the national level.

Reading a prepared declaration of testimony, Kay accused the investigation of “trying to concentrate” of the “real” cause of Paloma’s death. “Any attempt at me is false responsibility – the people who must respond are those who have not confirmed the diagnosis, administered drugs without its consent which could have harmful to its heart.”