A 23-year-old woman in the UK, Paloma Shemirani, died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma after refusing chemotherapy and instead pursuing a strict regimen of coffee enemas and alternative therapies encouraged by her mother. A coroner has now ruled that the decision was heavily influenced by her mother’s controversial health beliefs.
Doctors told Paloma that her cancer was highly treatable with an 80% survival chance if she had undergone chemotherapy. However, she chose a different route — one that involved intense detox treatments, including up to five coffee enemas daily, under the guidance of her mother, Kate Shemirani, a former nurse removed from the nursing registry for spreading harmful medical misinformation.
Kate, who follows Gerson therapy, believed her own cancer was cured by natural methods — primarily raw foods, juices, and coffee enemas. She promoted the same path to her daughter, despite the approach being unapproved by medical authorities like the FDA and widely condemned by oncologists due to its risks and lack of evidence.
Coroner Catherine Wood stated that had Paloma been encouraged to consider chemotherapy with support, she likely would have taken that option. She died of a heart attack, which experts believe was caused by a tumor compressing her airways.
Paloma’s twin brother, Gabriel, publicly criticized their mother’s influence, saying she prevented his sister from receiving proper medical care. He testified that while Paloma initially leaned toward chemotherapy, she was pressured to abandon it.
In legal statements before her death, Paloma expressed distrust in her diagnosis and concern about chemotherapy’s side effects, particularly infertility. She described herself as happy with her alternative treatments and viewed her mother as a passionate advocate of natural healing.
Kate Shemirani defended their choices during the inquest, saying her daughter made informed decisions “based on her values, research, and experience.”
Despite the tragic outcome, the coroner found Kate’s actions not unlawful but confirmed her influence had a significant role in the result.