Mother’s Anti-Chemo Beliefs Contributed to Daughter’s Death from Cancer
The death of 23-year-old Paloma Shemirani from non-Hodgkin lymphoma was ruled to be influenced by her mother’s anti-chemotherapy beliefs. Paloma, after her diagnosis, rejected chemotherapy in favor of alternative treatments, as advocated by her mother, a former nurse with a history of spreading conspiracy theories. The coroner determined the mother’s influence contributed to Paloma’s death, noting the disease was curable with chemotherapy, which would have given her an 80% chance of complete recovery. The inquest found medical staff acted appropriately, despite the mother blaming them for her daughter’s death, and highlighting a dysfunctional family dynamic.
John Q. Hosedrinker