Post by : Rameen Ariff

A British health blogger has been found by a UK coroner to have “adversely influenced” her daughter to refuse chemotherapy, contributing to her death from cancer. Kate Shemirani, also known as Kay, is a former NHS nurse and social media personality with tens of thousands of followers who promotes conspiracy theories and alternative medicine treatments.

Her daughter, 23-year-old Paloma, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had an 80 percent chance of survival if she accepted chemotherapy. Instead, she chose to live with her mother and underwent alternative treatment, specifically the Gerson therapy, which involves vegetable juices and coffee enemas. According to Cancer Research UK, there is no scientific evidence supporting this therapy as an effective cancer treatment.

Coroner Catherine Wood told a court in Maidstone, Kent, that Kate Shemirani had encouraged and influenced Paloma to refuse conventional treatment. Wood said that this influence “contributed more than minimally to her death.” Paloma’s brothers, Gabriel, 24, and Sebastian, 26, also accused their mother of guiding their sister away from proper medical care.

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Paloma passed away on July 24, 2024. The hospital consultant and the post-mortem pathologist reported that Paloma had a large tumour in her chest and neck that was growing aggressively. The untreated cancer was identified as the obvious cause of death. Despite this, Paloma had stated she was “not coerced” into the alternative treatments by her mother.

Kate Shemirani has previously been struck off as an NHS nurse for giving speeches at anti-vaccine rallies during the COVID-19 lockdown. After the verdict, Gabriel Shemirani expressed disappointment, saying he had hoped for a gross negligence manslaughter ruling and plans to challenge the coroner’s decision.

Coroner Wood criticized Shemirani for not encouraging Paloma, a recent Cambridge University graduate, to follow medical advice, noting that her actions caused Paloma to lose trust in qualified clinicians. She described it as “incomprehensible” that Shemirani, with her medical background, did not support her daughter’s treatment as her condition worsened.

Shemirani has denied responsibility for Paloma’s death and blamed medical staff, claiming “gross medical failings,” which the coroner said were groundless.

The case has raised significant concerns about the influence of health bloggers and alternative medicine advocates on vulnerable individuals, particularly regarding critical medical treatments like chemotherapy. Experts warn that misinformation on social media can have serious consequences on public health and patient safety.

#world news #Global News