Dominique McShain moved followers by sharing her final moments and leaving a message of love and acceptance
New Zealand influencer Dominique McShain, known for her presence on TikTok, passed away at the age of 21 after battling colon cancer. Earlier this month, she informed her followers that doctors had given her only “days, weeks to live.”
The confirmation of her death was announced by People on Wednesday, about a year after McShain revealed her terminal colorectal cancer diagnosis in April 2024.
The exact date of her passing has not yet been released. On April 6, McShain posted a moving message on Instagram, explaining that she would not be posting any more updates as her journey was nearing its end.
“I want to be direct with all of you: this will be my last update about my cancer journey until I pass away,” she wrote. “I recently received a prognosis, about five days ago, of only a few days to a few weeks to live.”
She explained that the cancer had spread after liver complications worsened, making it impossible to continue with treatments, including chemotherapy, which she had been undergoing for seven months.
“I am now in palliative care, focused on pain and symptom management, dividing my time between the hospital and a specialized unit,” McShain revealed.
Despite the short duration of her life, she said she lived it to the fullest. “I won the lottery with a family who loves me unconditionally, friends who would do anything for me, and the sweetest husband, Sean, my support in everything, before and after the diagnosis.”
Dominique got engaged to Sean Suson in May 2024 during her 21st birthday, and the couple married two months later, in July.
“Of course, there are adult experiences I’ll never have, dreams I won’t be able to realize. But I’ve learned to accept that,” she wrote in her last post.
She described how, over the year, she became less sensitive to bad news and more connected with inner peace. “I’ve often imagined Heaven — a place where I’ll be free of pain. I’ll be able to run, breathe, feel whole.”
“It will hurt to leave you all, but know that I’ll finally be at peace.”
Dominique ended her farewell by thanking loved ones and followers who had been with her throughout her journey.
The young woman gained over 200,000 followers by sharing her symptoms and experiences with colon cancer. In her debut TikTok video in May 2024, she shared how the illness interrupted her academic path. “Until two weeks ago, I was in my third year of psychology and planned to continue in the clinical field, which would have taken another five years.”
She also emphasized her desire to leave a legacy. “I wanted to make a difference, leave something of value, maybe help someone.”
Dominique used her visibility to raise awareness about the increasing cases of colon cancer among young people. In 2020, more than 1.9 million new cases were reported worldwide, with over 930,000 deaths, according to the National Library of Medicine. Australia, New Zealand, and Europe lead the world in incidence rates of the disease.
@dominiquemcshain So nervous posting this but if you want to follow my journey with colorectal cancer I will be sharing parts of my life here. #cancer #colorectalcancer #incurable #youngcancerfighter ♬ original sound – Dominique McShain
Source and images: NyPost / TikTok @dominiquemcshain. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
