The father of a Cambridge graduate who died after refusing chemotherapy blames medical professionals and “members of her family” for her death, an inquest heard.
Paloma Shemirani, 23, collapsed on July 19 last year and was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital where she died five days later.
She had earlier declined treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and was instead following an “alternative” treatment plan including daily coffee enemas advised by her parents.
Her mother, Kay “Kate” Shemirani, a prominent online conspiracy theorist and her father, Dr Faramarz Shemirani, who is “sympathetic” to his ex-wife’s views, blame medical staff for their daughter’s death.
On Wednesday, written evidence from Dr Faramaz Shemirani was read to the court by counsel for the coroner at Kent and Medway Coroner’s Court in Maidstone.
Dr Shemirani, who is not a medical doctor, wrote: “It has been painful to witness what was done to Paloma, not only by the medical system but also by some members of her own family.”
He claims that Paloma’s twin brother Gabriel, older brother Sebastian and ex-boyfriend Ander Harris being involved in high court proceedings about Paloma prior to her death caused her significant stress.
Dr Shemirani believes his son Gabriel was “coerced” into bringing the High Court case to assess Paloma’s ability to exercise her capacity without Ms Shemirani’s influence.
It was suggested by Dr Shemirani that the high court case was influenced by “external forces” as part of a medical cover-up, the court heard.
Earlier, Gabriel Shemirani said: “My sister didn’t die from stress from the court case, my sister died from cancer and I think that’s clear.”
Dr Shemirani said his ex-wife had told him that “trauma during paramedic intervention” had caused the lump in her chest.
Medical evidence presented to the inquest suggests that this lump was actually a large medicinal mass caused by Paloma’s advanced lymphoma.
On Wednesday morning, the pathologist who carried out her autopsy, Dr David Wright told the court the tumour had measured as much as 17cm in size and was “infiltrating” her sternum.
“It had replaced most of the upper lobe of the right lung… it was compressing all of the structures that normally occupy that space,” said Dr Wright.
He added that this was a “self-evident” cause of death.
Paloma’s parents have suggested “latent tuberculosis” as a possible reason for her tumour, which Dr Wright dismissed as “word association”.
“It is to my mind inconceivable that this was tuberculosis,” he said.
The inquest continues.
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