Gabriel and Sebastian Shemirani are speaking out about the loss of their sister Paloma, who tragically died of cancer at the age of 23. Following the rise of their mother, Kate Shemirani, as a conspiracy theorist during the pandemic, both brothers argue that her anti-medicine beliefs played a crucial role in Paloma's decision to refuse chemotherapy—a choice advised against by her doctors. Kate, a former nurse who was struck off for spreading misinformation about Covid-19, has placed blame for Paloma's death on the NHS, rejecting any responsibility for her daughter's fate.
Despite Paloma being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and being told she had an 80% chance of recovery with treatment, she opted out, influenced by alternative health practitioners and her mother's beliefs. Her brothers express deep remorse and anger, claiming that their sister’s death was a direct consequence of their mother’s harmful ideologies.
In interviews for BBC's Panorama and related podcasts, Gabriel reflects on attempts to safeguard his sister from the dangers of social media-driven medical misinformation, which is gaining alarming traction. They urge policymakers and social media platforms to take stronger measures against the dissemination of such damaging content in hopes of saving others from similar fates.
Throughout her life, Paloma was exposed to her mother's conspiratorial beliefs, which the brothers say were cultivated during their childhood. These beliefs included the rejection of conventional medical treatment, claims that sunscreen causes cancer, and fears of vaccination, leading her to trust in alternative therapies promoted by personalities like Kate.
As Paloma succumbed to her condition, her brothers were deprived of crucial time to intervene, having sought legal recourse too late. The tragedy begs urgent questions about parental influence and the rise of medical misinformation in digital platforms. With the family facing a devastating inquest into Paloma's death, they carry with them a grim hope that their story will dissuade others from accepting harmful conspiracy theories without question.
