A Tragic Divide: Family Feud Unfolds in Court Over Daughter's Cancer Death

A profound family tragedy is playing out in a Kent courtroom, where an inquest is seeking to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of 23-year-old Paloma Shemirani. Paloma, a brilliant Cambridge graduate, died last July after refusing conventional chemotherapy for her non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a disease with an 80% chance of recovery with treatment. She instead opted for alternative therapies, including the unproven Gerson therapy. The inquest, which began this summer, has exposed a deep and bitter family rift, pitting Paloma's twin brother, Gabriel, against their mother, Kate Shemirani—a prominent anti-vaccine and anti-medicine influencer.

The courtroom has become a stage for this painful conflict. Gabriel and his brother, Sebastian, hold their mother’s anti-medicine beliefs directly responsible for their sister's death. Kate Shemirani, a former nurse who was struck off the register in 2021 for spreading COVID-19 misinformation, has repeatedly claimed that NHS staff and paramedics were to blame. The coroner has been forced to intervene multiple times, admonishing both parents for their "contemptuous" behavior and for questioning witnesses on matters irrelevant to the inquiry.

The tragic narrative began a year prior, when Paloma was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. According to texts from her, she had recently found a new sense of freedom after moving away from her mother. However, after the diagnosis, she reached out to her mother for support. Despite a history of a strained relationship, Paloma's mother sent a message to her daughter's boyfriend stating, "TELL PALOMA NOT TO SIGN [OR] VERBALLY CONSENT TO CHEMO OR ANY TREATMENT."

The inquest has also heard from alternative practitioners Paloma consulted. Patrick Vickers, a former partner of Kate Shemirani, reportedly told Paloma that the doctors' "80% chance of cure" with chemotherapy was "exaggerated." This figure is in line with or slightly below the five-year relative survival rates for localized Hodgkin lymphoma, which is at 92.2% in the UK, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which can vary depending on the subtype. The Gerson therapy, which Paloma pursued, involves a strict diet, supplements, and coffee enemas, and is widely dismissed by the scientific community. Cancer Research UK and other major health organizations state that there is no scientific evidence that Gerson therapy is an effective treatment for cancer.

Medical experts giving evidence at the inquest have directly contradicted the family's claims. An intensive care doctor testified that Paloma's heart attack, which ultimately led to her death, was caused by a large cancerous tumor obstructing her airways. Furthermore, a pathologist stated that the tumor measured up to 17cm and was "infiltrating" her sternum. The court was also played the distressing 999 call, which disproved Kate Shemirani’s claims that paramedics were responsible for her daughter’s death and revealed a chaotic scene.

The inquest has illuminated the devastating impact of medical misinformation, a phenomenon that has seen a rise in recent years. Kate Shemirani's social media accounts, reactivated on platforms like X, have garnered more than 4.5 million views in the last six months, promoting unproven cancer therapies and other falsehoods. Gabriel Shemirani’s desperate attempts to intervene, including a failed legal action in April 2024 to save his sister's life, underscore the immense personal cost of this disinformation. The coroner's verdict, expected on October 2, could lead to a Prevention of Future Deaths report or even criminal proceedings.