Paloma Shemirani, died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighoton on July 24, 2024, after refusing treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Her mother, Kay “Kate” Shemirani, who rose to prominence on social media while sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories, had raised concerns with experts about the treatment plan seven months before the 23-year-old’s death, the inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone, Kent, heard on Friday.
Arunodaya Mohan, a consultant haematologist at Maidstone Hospital, told the inquest that she met Paloma on December 22, 2023, to set out the treatment plan after her diagnosis.
Dr Mohan told Paloma, who attended Roedean School in Brighton for sixth form, that she had an 80 per cent chance of recovery if she had chemotherapy, the inquest heard.
She told the inquest that she recommended steroids and a PET (positron emission tomography) scan, adding that Paloma “nodded in agreement”.
But soon after that, Paloma told Ms Mohan that she had not made her mind up about the treatment and wished to explore other options.
Dr Mohan said that she spoke on the phone with Paloma’s mother, saying that she expressed “concerns” about the side-effects of steroids.
Ms Shemirani also said that she did not want her daughter to go ahead with a PET scan, the inquest heard.
Dr Mohan told the inquest: “I didn’t want to discuss with mum because I didn’t think it would be helpful to her.”
Alison Hewitt, counsel to the inquest, later asked: “Were there concerns that Ms Shemirani was influencing Paloma?”
Dr Mohan replied: “That’s right.”
She told the inquest that Ms Shemirani had mentioned wanting to be her daughter’s “power of attorney” and was asking for copies of blood records.
Paloma declined to have the treatment, and when Dr Mohan asked why, there did not seem to be a specific reason, the inquest heard.
Ms Hewitt asked Dr Mohan if she questioned Paloma on whether her decision was influenced by anyone.
Dr Mohan said: “She was very confident that it was her own decision and she was not influenced.”
Ms Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021, with a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee finding that she had spread Covid-19 misinformation which “put the public at a significant risk of harm”.
The inquest continues.
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