A prominent alternative belief promoter convinced her daughter to refuse chemotherapy in favor of unconventional therapies, which ultimately led to her death, a investigating official has concluded.
Paloma Shemirani, from East Sussex, passed away in July last year - several months after she was found to have a form of cancer.
Medical Choice
The 23-year-old had refused chemotherapy in preference of natural beverages and coffee enemas recommended by her mother, Kate Shemirani, a previous medical worker who was struck off for her immunization-opposing views.
Investigating official Catherine Wood remarked at the official inquiry on the proceeding date: "The pressure that was brought to bear on Paloma... was a factor significantly to her demise."
Alternative Treatment Regimen
After her medical discovery in December 2023, Ms Shemirani moved with her mother and began having five coffee enemas a day, based on statements from her brothers.
In summer 2024, she collapsed at home and was rushed to the medical facility in southern England, where she died several days later.
"I have never seen a cancerous growth like hers in over four decades of medical work," testified an therapist who saw Ms Shemirani on the day she collapsed.
Medical Findings
Ms Wood determined that Ms Shemirani died from the advancement of a medical condition which was curable but without proper medical care.
She further stated that conventional therapy would have given Ms Shemirani an 80% chance of a complete cure.
The Cambridge graduate had initially consented to treatment, the official said, adding that "questions regarding approval only surfaced after the parent became involved."
Relative Pressure
The official said Ms Shemirani was being swayed by her own convictions, her mother's, her father's and by those of a family friend - all who promoted the non-medical approach she employed.
"I concluded the mother's approach to her daughter difficult to understand but not illegal," Ms Wood remarked.
Ms Shemirani's mother tried to blame healthcare professionals for her daughter's death and has previously labelled chemotherapy as "chemical warfare".
Investigation Conclusions
Medical personnel at Maidstone Hospital, where Ms Shemirani was found to have cancer, the Royal Sussex County Hospital and ambulance staff all acted appropriately, the inquest concluded.
None of her immediate family - alternative practitioner Faramarz Shemirani - participated in the conclusion of the legal proceeding.
Family Response
Her male relatives, Gabriel and Sebastian Shemirani, were present and said the state had "not fulfilled its duty" by not categorizing their sister's death as an criminal act, despite recognising a breach in their mother's duty of care.
Gabriel told the inquest: "I blame my mother completely for my sister's death", adding she had been "obstructing" his sister from accessing proper healthcare.
The coroner noted the "striking" family dysfunction, which she said had been "clearly visible" during the proceeding.
"The dynamics within the immediate family were complex and dysfunctional at the time of Paloma's death," she remarked.
