A 21-year-old TikTok star has tragically died, just days after telling followers she had weeks, maybe even days, left to live.
Dominique McShain's death was confirmed by PEOPLE on Wednesday (April 23), a year after the New Zealand-based content creator revealed she had been diagnosed with incurable colorectal cancer.
The exact date of her passing has not been disclosed.
The TikToker first made headlines in May 2024, shortly after she was diagnosed.
Then, a third-year psychology student, she was forced to abandon university plans and instead used her growing social media presence to raise awareness about colon cancer in young people.
“I was, until two weeks ago, a third-year psychology student, and I wanted to do clinical psychology eventually. And that would take another five years to study for,” she explained in her first video, which has since racked up more than 5.5 million views.
“Basically, I stopped work and uni because I have such severe cancer, and the treatment is so intense," she added.
The warning signs McShain initially dismissed included dizzy spells and blood in her stool, symptoms she would later highlight to educate others.
Earlier this month, on April 6, McShain posted what she said would be her final update.
“I want to be direct with you all: this will be my final update on my cancer journey until I have passed away,” she wrote. “I've recently been given a prognosis about 5 days ago of only a few days to a few weeks to live.”
She explained that her liver was “failing rapidly to the point of jaundice,” which caused her cancer to spread and made it impossible to continue with the chemotherapy she had been undergoing for seven months.
“At this point, I've transitioned into end-of-life care, focusing on pain relief and managing side effects, with so much time spent both in the hospital and hospice facilities,” she shared.
Despite the devastating news, her words were full of gratitude and peace. “My life may be short, but I genuinely think I've squeezed every bit out of it,” she wrote.
“I won the lottery with a family that loves me unconditionally, friends who would 10000% donate a liver to me or do anything they could (and probably argue over who gets to do it), and the sweetest husband, Sean, who's been my rock through everything - before and after my diagnosis," she added.
McShain and Sean Suson got engaged in May 2024, on her 21st birthday, months after her diagnosis, and were married that July. She later described their wedding as “the most special day ever".
“Of course, there are so many key adult moments I won’t get to experience, things I won’t get to be or have, and that’s something I’ve had to come to terms with,” she continued. “The grief of what I’m missing out on is no longer overwhelming, though. Recently, I’ve found a sense of acceptance.”
She ended the post by imagining what peace might look like for her: “Recently, I’ve been picturing Heaven often - a place where I’ll finally be free from the pain that’s been with me for so long. I imagine myself without the constant suffering, no longer needing medication just to survive the day.
"I’ll be able to run, to breathe, to feel whole... Though it will hurt to leave you all behind, please know that I will finally be out of pain, and I will be at peace," she said, concluding: “Please never forget I will always love you all so much and I will be forever grateful for the role each of you have played in my life."
McShain's fundraiser, originally set up to help cover treatments and travel costs, will now go toward her hospice care.
McShain's impact extends beyond her audience. By documenting the unfiltered realities of her diagnosis and speaking openly about symptoms, she helped shed light on a rising health crisis.
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer rates in people under 50 have been increasing by 2.4% annually from 2012 to 2021.
In 2020 alone, over 1.9 million new colon cancer cases were recorded globally, with more than 930,000 deaths, per the National Library of Medicine.
Australia, New Zealand, and Europe currently have the highest incidence rates, and by the end of 2025, more than 107,000 new US cases are expected.
“I wanted to make a difference somehow and leave something behind and hopefully help people,” Dominique once said. And she did - more than she ever imagined.