23-year-old dies after rejecting chemo for coffee enemas

A 23-year-old British woman who died after refusing conventional cancer treatment was allegedly undergoing “five coffee enemas a day” under the care of her mother, a controversial health influencer.

Paloma Shemirani’s brother made the claim this week during an inquest into her death, which came seven months after doctors told the Cambridge graduate she had an 80% chance of surviving non-Hodgkin lymphoma with chemotherapy, according to the BBC.

Instead, she pursued an unproven alternative cancer regimen promoted by her mother, Kate Shemirani, who claimed to have used it successfully in the past.

Paloma died of a heart attack on July 24 last year, caused by an untreated tumor.

In written statements before her death, she denied having cancer at all, calling the diagnosis an “absurd fantasy, with no proof,” per the BBC. She also expressed fears that chemotherapy might leave her infertile.

“I do not want to undergo such a harsh treatment that could even kill me when there is a possibility this is not cancer,” she wrote.

Her parents, Kate and Faramarz Shemirani, told the BBC they believe Paloma “died as a result of medical interventions given without confirmed diagnosis or lawful consent.” The outlet has not been able to substantiate their claims.

Paloma’s brothers, Sebastian and Gabriel, have publicly blamed their mother for fostering her distrust in modern medicine.

“My sister has passed away as a direct consequence of my mum’s actions and beliefs and I don’t want anyone else to go through the same pain or loss that I have,” Gabriel told the BBC.

Growing up in the small Sussex town of Uckfield, Gabriel said the “soundtrack” to their household included conspiracy theorist Alex Jones — with claims that the Sandy Hook school shooting was staged and that 9/11 “was an inside job.”

Kate Shemirani’s distrust of conventional medicine intensified after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, according to her sons.

Though she underwent surgery to remove the tumor, she has publicly credited her recovery to Gerson therapy — an alternative approach that aims to “detoxify” the body through a strict vegan diet, natural juices, supplements and frequent coffee enemas.

The FDA has not approved Gerson therapy for treating cancer or any other condition. Major cancer organizations warn against its use, citing a lack of scientific evidence and the risk of serious side effects.

Kate Shemirani, a prominent figure in alternative health circles, is a former nurse who lost her license after the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council found she used her professional status to spread “distorted propaganda” during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Mirror.

In a 2021 interview with Sky News, she claimed that “no vaccine has ever been proven safe and no vaccine has ever been proven effective,” and said she had seen “no evidence” to suggest “a pandemic exists.”

Later that year, during an anti-lockdown rally in London’s Trafalgar Square, Kate compared healthcare workers administering COVID vaccines to Nazi war criminals and falsely claimed the virus was being spread by the “downright deadly” shots.

Following the rally, her son Sebastian called for her to be “prosecuted under existing laws” for her comments.

“It’s only a matter of time before … somebody acts on the bad advice that she’s giving the country,” he told BBC Radio 4’s “Today,” adding that he is worried his mother is “beyond help.”

In written statements before her death, Paloma described her mother as “an extremely forceful advocate for natural health” who was often “misquoted,” according to the BBC.

The ongoing inquest into Paloma’s death is focused on whether the care she received was appropriate. Before she died, she expressed confidence in Gerson therapy, saying she was “delighted” with the alternative treatment and “sure” she would “make a full recovery” if allowed to continue.