A BBC investigation in Britain has caused a stir about a young woman who died of cancer in 2024 after refusing chemotherapy.
She was estimated to have an 80% chance of being cured by chemotherapy, but under pressure from her mother, 23-year-old Paloma Shemirani chose not to undergo it and instead chose to follow the Gerson therapy. This involves drinking the juice of 9 kilograms of fruit daily, taking various supplements, and undergoing colon cleansing with coffee or castor oil.
When Paloma Shemirani was hospitalized, her mother, Kate, began pressuring her to refuse chemotherapy. An alternative practitioner Kate knew recommended the Gerson diet. She died seven months later.
Kate Shemirani has blamed the British National Health Service for her daughter’s death. She is a former nurse who has been spreading dubious ideas on her website for years. As The Natural Nurse, she sells all kinds of quack remedies, such as apricot kernels, for health problems. Subscribers to her website pay £70 a year. Even more expensive is the twelve-week health program she offers.
During the COVID pandemic, she campaigned against vaccinations, which she claimed were part of a conspiracy to kill people. In 2021, she was struck off her nursing license for spreading misinformation about the pandemic. Several social media companies also blocked her profiles for spreading misinformation.
Pamela’s brothers exposed the scandal. According to them, their mother was obsessed with conspiracy theories and forced them on her children. One of the brothers says she once decided to turn off the Wi-Fi because it was considered dangerous, even though he himself clearly stated that he needed the internet for his studies. “That only fed the joy that she had for using her irrational system of beliefs to control(() me.”
Several health institutions warn about the dangers of the Gerson diet. There is no evidence for its effectiveness and it can dangerously weaken a patient.