Influencer Dominique McShain has died at age 21 following a battle with colon cancer.
People confirmed the news on Wednesday, April 23. McShain shared in a May 2024 TikTok that she had been diagnosed with incurable colorectal cancer that metastasized to her liver and had been told by doctors that she would live for one to five more years.
Earlier this month, McShain provided her fans with an update on her cancer battle. “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 via Instagram on April 6. “I’ve recently been given a prognosis about 5 days ago of only a few days to a few weeks to live. My liver is failing rapidly to the point of jaundice and the cancer is progressing quickly.”
McShain explained that she’s no longer able to receive treatments, including the chemotherapy that she had been receiving for “seven months over last year.”
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“At this point, I’ve transitioned into end-of-life care, focusing on pain relief and managing side effects, with so much time spent in both the hospital and hospice facilities,” she wrote. “If these awkward update posts have shown you anything, it’s that I can’t talk about my cancer journey without getting sentimental and spilling at least some of the emotions placed on my heart so here it goes …”
“My life may be short but I genuinely think I’ve squeezed every bit out of it,” she continued. “I won the lottery with a family that loves me unconditionally, friends who would 10000 percent donate a liver to me or do anything they could (and probably argue over who gets to do it) and the sweetest husband, Sean [Suson], who’s been my rock through everything — before and after my diagnosis.”
McShain explained that she had “checked off all the classic teenage milestones” including having a first kiss, “dramatic breakups,” and “sneaking out to parties.” She also went through “big adult moments,” such as tying the knot with Suson and getting their first dog as a couple.
“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 come to terms with,” she wrote. “The grief of what I’m missing out on is no longer overwhelming, though. Recently, I’ve found a sense of acceptance.”
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McShain noted that she’s “found peace” in knowing that there’s “something more waiting for me on the other side.”
“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 concluded. “Please never forget I will always love you all so much and I will be forever grateful for the role each of you played in my life.”
