Anti-vaxxer who ‘encouraged daughter to refuse chemo' defies belief – but toxic views are still spreading far and wide
WHAT kind of parent potentially sacrifices their child's health on the altar of their own, ill-informed beliefs?
Step forward notorious conspiracy theorist Kate Shemirani, who stands accused by her two estranged sons of causing their sister's death by encouraging her to refuse chemotherapy.
8
8
Paloma Shemirani was diagnosed with 'treatable' non-Hodgkin lymphoma two years ago.
But, despite being told she had an 80 per cent chance of recovery via chemo, she refused it and died just months later at the age of 23.
Kate and husband Faramarz claim she 'died as a result of medical interventions' but now Paloma's brothers Sebastian and Gabriel have told BBC 's Panorama a different story.
'My sister has passed away as a direct consequence of my mum's actions and beliefs,' says Sebastian.
Gabriel, who started legal action to try to ensure that Paloma got the right treatment while she was still alive, adds: 'I wasn't able to stop my sister from dying.
"But it would mean the world to me if I could make it that she wasn't just another in a long line of people that die in this way.'
To that end, the brothers are lobbying for social media companies to take stronger action against those who peddle medical misinformation.
TikTok recently banned Kate Shemirani's profile. But she still has a sizeable social media following for her conspiracy theory views that her sons say started when her and her husband listened to recordings claiming that the US terror attack on 9/11 was staged.
Then, in 2012 when Kate was diagnosed with breast cancer, she had the tumour removed through conventional surgery but credited alternative therapies for her recovery.
Paloma's school friend Chantelle says: 'Paloma spoke about her mum curing herself and she believed sunscreen could cause cancer.'
Son of anti-vax nurse being probed by cops for comparing NHS medics to Nazis slams 'arrogant' mum
So when doctors found a mass in Paloma's lung, it perhaps explains why her mother's influence was so great that the young woman decided against conventional treatment.
Indeed, Paloma's boyfriend Anders Harris alleges that, after visiting her daughter in hospital, Kate texted him to ask that he help prevent her from consenting to chemo.
Kate, a former 'nurse' in a Botox clinic (injects neurotoxin but says no to vaccines? — go figure) was struck off in 2021 for sharing anti-vaccine and anti- lockdown content online.
We're all adults and can agree with or ignore such content. But when a parent influences their child against the conventional medicine that could save their life, it defies belief.
In the UK, if parents refuse medical treatment for a sick child (either through religious or other beliefs) and that decision puts them at risk, the law can intervene to act in the best interests of the minor and ensure the necessary treatment takes place.
But Paloma was an adult clearly influenced by a mother who put her own beliefs before her daughter's best interests.
And sadly, the law is a lot murkier and slower in clamping down on people like Kate Shemirani who, God forbid, charges cancer patients £195 for a consultation.
WOMEN ON SIDE OF J.K.
8
SIR Stephen Fry has turned on 'friend of mine' JK Rowling, suggesting she's been 'radicalised' over trans issues and has 'very strong, difficult views' that, to him, make her 'a lost cause'.
He was publicly backed by barrister Jolyon Maugham, who posted: 'Really creditable this . . . I've spoken to so many of JKR's once friends who now despair at her privately but won't do so publicly . . . '
The Harry Potter author responded to him with: 'It is a great mistake to assume that everyone who claims to have been a friend of mine was ever considered a friend by me.'
Touché. As for her being a 'lost cause', this is not an opinion shared by the majority of women who believe she is simply standing up for the rights of biological females, including, as she puts it, 'being able to speak about our own bodies as we please'.
And I'm afraid that Stephen and Jolyon's declarations come across as just another couple of entitled men telling women what they should be thinking and feeling.
FAILING ON A.I.
8
TECHNOLOGY Secretary Peter Kyle was called a 'bit of a moron' by Sir Elton John on national television but says it's not the first time he's been described as such.
Mr Kyle, who has acute dyslexia, says: 'The first person I ever recall calling me that word 'moron' was a teacher and that was in front of school friends.
'So I wouldn't say it hurt, but it was very humiliating.'
Hmmm. Conflating a school bullying experience with Elton's comment seems disingenuous.
It had nothing to do with his dyslexia and everything to do with the Government's failure to protect young creatives from having their content used for free by AI tech companies.
SUCH A HARDY TARDI
8
AT first sight, I thought it was the latest Pixar creation for another Monsters Inc sequel.
But no, turns out this, er, cute little creature is real and can be found in damp environments such as moss, lichen and wet leaves.
It's called a tardigrade and, according to science author Alex Riley in his new book Super Natural: How Life Thrives in Impossible Places, it can endure the most brutal of conditions that would kill a human in seconds.
Hot planet, cold planet, war, flood, famine, you name it – the 'water bear', or 'moss piglet' as it's known, can sustain the lot.
Apparently, it can even withstand one of Rachel Reeves' unedited Budget announcements.
LITTLE THREAT AT 90
TWO serving Metropolitan Police officers and one former one are to face a gross misconduct hearing after a 90-year-old woman with dementia was 'red-dotted' with a taser which thankfully wasn't discharged.
But she was handcuffed and put in a spit hood after refusing to drop the 'kitchen utensils' she was brandishing at a carer in her South London home.
A complaint has now been lodged by her family over use of force and alleged discrimination due to her age, race, sex and disability.
The incident follows that of two officers who, despite a jury finding them unanimously not guilty, still face gross-misconduct proceedings over the use of a pepper spray and taser on a 92-year old amputee who had threatened staff with a butter knife at a care home in East Sussex.
It later transpired that he was delirious as a result of a urinary tract infection.
Look, the police do a tough job that many of us wouldn't dare sign up for.
But common sense must surely dictate that an obviously distressed and delirious nonagenarian is going to present little to no threat to anyone?
EVERY country has its 'pests' that patrol urban streets looking for scraps.
8
For the UK, it's mostly foxes and seagulls. In Australia, it's white ibis, otherwise known as 'bin chickens'. It's monkeys in Thailand and brown bears in Canada.
And I'll never forget being in the Galapagos Islands and seeing large sea lions undulating their way along the street looking for food.
Now there's been an exceptionally rare sighting of a pod of killer whales just five miles south of Plymouth.
How long is it before we see Free Willy foraging in Asda's bins?
RIFT-HEALING LIZ HAS THE EX FACTOR
8
I HAVE met Elizabeth Hurley several times and we once spent a weekend away together with mutual friends.
During that trip, she taught me how to stand in photos, that the Mach 3 razor is a must for tackling armpit hair and spent some of her downtime looking for a new tractor for her farm.
In other words, she's as uncomplicated and straightforward as they come.
Which is perhaps why, after years of the Cyrus family not speaking following the demise of his 30-year marriage to her mum Trish, Miley and her father Billy Ray have seemingly reconciled after he started dating Elizabeth.
Indeed, the four of them (the other attendee being Elizabeth's son Damian) went for a cosy dinner in London at the weekend. 'At first it's hard, because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, 'Yes, that's your dad, but that's just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy,' says 32- year-old Miley.
Good for her. And well done Elizabeth, whose enduring friendships with her exes is also a testament to her admirable people skills.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Forensic psychiatrist reveals the truth about pedophilia debate
A psychiatrist has revealed whether pedophiles are born or made as a result of nature. Dr Sohom Das who is a forensic psychiatrist, from London has shared content about crime, mental health conditions, and psychology, among other topics. He discussed whether the pedophilia crimes are due to nature or nurture on his YouTube channel. According to the American Psychological Society's dictionary: 'Pedophilia, in which sexual acts or fantasies involving prepubertal children are the persistently preferred or exclusive method of achieving sexual excitement. 'The children are usually many years younger than the pedophile [...] Sexual activity may consist of looking and touching but may include intercourse, even with very young children. Pedophilia is rarely seen in women.' Speaking in the video, the expert said: 'Are you born a paedophile? Well, essentially, no, but the answer is quite complicated, because it's both nature and nurture.' Dr Das went on to explain that while people 'might have inherent, actual preferences [...] at the same time, external events or scenarios can massively increase the risk'. According to the psychiatrist, those who have suffered sexual assault themselves are most at risk. Research released in 2024 showed the scale of the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children, suggesting that more than 300 million are victims every year. In what marked the first global estimate of the scale of the crisis, researchers at the University of Edinburgh found one in eight, or 12.6 per cent, of the world's children have been victims of non-consensual talking, sharing and exposure to sexual images and video in the past year, amounting to about 302 million young people. In addition, 12.5 per cent of children globally (300 million) are estimated to have been subject in the past year to online solicitation, such as unwanted sexual talk which can include non-consensual sexting, unwanted sexual questions and unwanted sexual act requests by adults or other youths. Offences can also take the form of 'sextortion', where predators demand money from victims to keep images private, to abuse of AI deepfake technology. While problems exist in all parts of the world, the research suggests the United States is a particularly high-risk area. Edinburgh university's Childlight initiative – which aims to understand the prevalence of child abuse – includes a new global index, Into The Light, which found one in nine men in the U.S. (almost 14 million) admitted online offending against children at some point. Surveys found seven per cent of British men, or 1.8 million, admitted the same, as did 7.5 per cent of men in Australia. The research also found many men admitted they would seek to commit physical sexual offences against children if they thought it would be kept secret. Childlight chief executive Paul Stanfield said: 'This is on a staggering scale that in the UK alone equates to forming a line of male offenders that could stretch all the way from Glasgow to London - or filling Wembley Stadium 20 times over. 'Child abuse material is so prevalent that files are on average reported to watchdog and policing organizations once every second. 'This is a global health pandemic that has remained hidden for far too long. It occurs in every country, it's growing exponentially, and it requires a global response. 'We need to act urgently and treat it as a public health issue that can be prevented. Children can't wait.'
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Record 500,000 patients spend 24 hours in A&E
A record number of almost half a million patients spent 24 hours in A&E last year, statistics show. Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), said the figures were 'a source of national shame', fuelling thousands of deaths. He raised concerns that the Government's 10-year health plan, to be published next week, would not take sufficient action to tackle A&E overcrowding – and could even make it worse. NHS data, disclosed under freedom of information laws, show long trolley waits have surged, leaving casualty units increasingly crowded and dangerous. The statistics show that in 2024 there were 478,901 waits of 24 hours or more in major A&E units in England – a rise of 27 per cent on the previous year. The extra 100,482 cases bring the total to the highest yearly figure on record. Meanwhile, quarterly figures for England show bed occupancy is also at a record high, with 92.5 per cent of general and acute beds occupied. Analysis by the RCEM found that there were more than 16,600 deaths associated with long A&E waits before admission in England last year – an increase of 20 per cent in one year. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, has said the 10-year health plan will mean major shifts, including moving more care from hospitals to the community and from dealing with sickness to prevention But Dr Boyle said he was concerned that the proposals would lack 'meaningful action' to tackle the existing crisis in A&E. In an interview with The Telegraph, the senior doctor said: 'I think there is magical thinking about reducing demand in emergency departments.' 'One of the big missions is to have a shift from sickness to prevention, and that's a perfectly sensible idea – everyone would agree with it. 'But people are still going to get sick, and need emergency care. I'm not hearing anything about meaningful action to tackle long stays in A&E.' Dr Boyle expressed concern that attempts to shift care out of hospitals and into the community will be too risky, if bed numbers are cut before a reduction in demand is seen. He said senior figures in emergency medicine were increasingly uneasy about a lack of focus on tackling long waits in A&E, with hospital bed occupancy at an all-time high. 'We are hearing nothing about increasing capacity – which would mean fixing social care or increasing the number of hospital beds,' he said. 'In fact it seems the aspiration is fewer beds, and as bed numbers fall, waits of 12 hours and more are rising.' The senior medic said too many patients, especially the old and frail, were being condemned to long A&E stays 'in a system which is making them sicker'. The figures on 24-hour trolley waits 'should be a source of national shame', he said. Dr Boyle said the NHS focus on four-hour targets meant that cases which could not be resolved quickly, especially those in need of admission, too often ended up facing dangerously long waits. He said: 'This is the result of the wrong policy, which is an exclusive focus on the four-hour standard, neglecting those patients who need admission. 'We know that this is harmful. We know that last year, there were at least 16,000 excess deaths associated with long stays in English departments. 'The majority of these people are elderly. They come to us when they're sick, and actually we're in a system which is making them sicker. People are dying as a consequence of this.' Previous analysis of NHS data has found that patients in their 90s suffer the longest delays in A&E, with length of stay rising by age. 'Very unambitious' Dr Boyle said the RCEM was keen to see more focus on preventive healthcare, and efforts to keep people out of hospital. He feared, however, that Labour's plan would set out aspirations rather than set out a meaningful route to making it happen. Earlier this month the Government and NHS England published an Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for England that vowed to make progress on eliminating 'corridor care'. The plan said waits of 12 hours or more should occur 'less than 10 per cent of the time'. Current performance is already close to this level, May data shows. Dr Boyle said the target was 'very unambitious'. 'What they're saying is we're happy to tolerate corridor care for another year,' he said.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Bristol man to run 120km in 24 hours for hospice charity
A 31-year-old man is training to run 120km (75 miles) in 24 hours, in memory of his grandmother and to raise awareness of palliative Lerway died in October 2023 and now Josh Galea, her grandson who lives in Bristol, is running the equivalent of almost three marathons to support St Peter's Galea, who became Ms Lerway's informal carer when her health declined, said: "Unfortunately, the end of my Nan's life was very difficult, not only for her, but also for the wider family who had to care for her."A dignified and comfortable death is so, so important and that's why I'm doing this challenge. It's what my Nan would have wanted me to do." Ms Lerway was first seen by nurses from St Peter's Hospice 48 hours before she died. Mr Galea said that within an hour of them arriving the whole situation improved and the family could "breathe a sigh of relief". "It put us at ease knowing that she was being looked after, and it allowed us to say goodbye to her peacefully," he Lerway died aged 85, the day after her daughter's 60th Mr Galea is channelling his grief into 25 and 26 October 2025 he will run 120km (75 miles) in 24 hours to raise money for St Peter's said: "I've had no choice but to train as I'm not a runner, I hate running in fact. "I spent my whole life playing ice hockey for Bristol but I had to stop when I started caring for Nan. "My biggest win so far has been 50km in one go – I'm completely winging it!"
