A 23-year-old woman who died after refusing conventional cancer treatment was undergoing “five coffee enemas a day” under the guidance of her mother.
Paloma Shemirani, a Cambridge graduate diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, died of a heart attack caused by an untreated tumor at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in July 2023.
According to BBC News, doctors had told her she had an 80% chance of survival with chemotherapy treatment, but she declined it in favor of a strict alternative regimen promoted by her mother, Kate Shemirani.
Paloma's brother Gabriel told the inquest in Maidstone, Kent, this week that his sister’s so-called treatment - which included green juices and coffee enemas - was heavily influenced by their mother.
“My sister has passed away as a direct consequence of my mum’s actions and beliefs,” he said, “And I don’t want anyone else to go through the same pain or loss that I have.
"I wasn't able to stop my sister from dying. But it would mean the world to me if I could make it that she wasn't just another in a long line of people that die in this way," he added.
Paloma's mom, Kate Shemirani, is a former nurse struck off by the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council in 2021. She rose to prominence for spreading Covid-19 misinformation.
The ex-nurse has repeatedly claimed that no vaccine is safe or effective and once compared healthcare workers to Nazi war criminals during an anti-lockdown rally.
Her license was revoked after the NMC found her actions had “put the public at a significant risk of harm," per the outlet.
Her distrust of conventional medicine reportedly began after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012.
Though she underwent surgery, she has since credited her recovery to Gerson therapy, a discredited treatment involving raw juices, supplements, and frequent enemas aimed at detoxifying the body. The FDA has not approved Gerson therapy for any medical use.
In written statements before her death, Paloma denied she even had cancer, calling the diagnosis an “absurd fantasy," per The New York Post.
She expressed fears that chemotherapy could leave her infertile and said she was “delighted” with her alternative treatment, insisting she was “sure” she would make a full recovery.
During the inquest into the 23-year-old's passing, the heartbroken brother questioned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ali Ajaz, who had held seven sessions with his sister at her mother’s request.
He alleged the doctor’s assessment was “colored by my mother's control” - a suggestion Dr. Ajaz called “speculation.” When asked about the risks of coffee enemas, Dr. Ajaz replied: “I don't know anything about coffee enemas.”
Dr. Ajaz had previously written in a High Court report that he saw “no concerns that Ms. Shemirani has been coerced or unduly influenced” in her medical decisions. Yet the inquest revealed that he had appeared as a guest on Kate's podcast three times and had received multiple patient referrals from her.
The mom, who attended the inquest remotely, was repeatedly warned by coroner Catherine Wood about her behavior, including holding signs up to the camera and attempting to introduce new allegations.
Wood told after a second day of interruptions that she was "bordering on contempt of court".
The inquest into Paloma Shemirani’s death continues.