Dominique McShain, the courageous 21-year-old Christchurch woman, who touched hundreds of thousands around the world with her raw honesty and unwavering grace, has died.

Diagnosed with colorectal cancer last year, Dominique passed away earlier this week, leaving behind a legacy of love, strength, and profound impact.

In May 2024, Dominique posted her first TikTok video, marking the beginning of a global connection with strangers who came to admire her strength and sincerity.

“I wanted to start this TikTok because essentially what I wanted to do in my life was help people,” she said. “It was going to be through psychology. I was, until two weeks ago, a third-year psychology student… but then the doctors told me I had between one to five years to live.”

In an interview with Chris Lynch Media in September 2024, Dominique recalled the moment she was diagnosed. “I remember it very well. I think it always replays over and over in my mind. It was really interesting. There were a few days between the time where I found out I had cancer and then that it was terminal. I was going to be sent home from the hospital. Then that afternoon, the doctor came in with my mum, and they broke the news. That was quite shocking—but the worst was definitely when I got told it was terminal.”

She recounted the moment she realised the diagnosis meant she wouldn’t be able to freeze her eggs, a hope she clung to as a young woman who had always dreamed of being a mother. “I asked about freezing my eggs because I knew that chemo would affect fertility… and the doctor basically said it depended on my lifespan. That’s when I found out it was terminal.”

She described the feeling as “disbelief.” “You trust in the health system and think it’s going to be fixed by a pill or something random… so to have something that no one can fix—it’s really hard.”

Dominique had also been working part-time in HR, and was deeply passionate about the work. It was another side of psychology that I was enjoying.” But the severity of her diagnosis forced her to give up both work and study. “I stopped work and uni because I have such severe cancer, and the treatment is so intense. I’ve had one chemotherapy so far, and I had some really bad, really bad days from it” she said in September.

Going public was not an easy decision. “I was actually quite private before on social media, but I think I wouldn’t have done it if it had just been cancer and not terminal. I really just wanted to help people… One woman actually found cancer because she was prompted by my videos to go get a colonoscopy. Seeing that kind of impact—it’s why I do this.”

Dominique had no family history of cancer. In the September interview, she said the symptoms began subtly, during her third year of university.

“I was sleeping a full night and then another five to six hours during the day… I’d be falling asleep during lectures. I also had blood in my stool and was switching between constipation and diarrhoea. Then came abdominal pain, I lost my appetite, and my stomach changed shape—my liver was really swollen.”

New Zealand social media personality Leighton Clarke paid tribute to Dominique on Wednesday night.

“Dominique taught me a few things and one of them was not to worry about silly stuff, or don’t sweat the small stuff in life. Some of us worry about silly stuff when other people like her are just trying to survive.

“And that really made me realise we should probably chill more and enjoy life more. However sadly yesterday our friend Dominique Mcshain lost her life and her battle with cancer. I would like to give a massive shout out to her amazing husband and her family for the wonderful girl they had. She touched me in my life and made me realise things I never thought of, and I’d like to thank you so much for the time we had with you.”

People from all walks of life rallied around Dominique. She was supported through a joyful wedding day, and she travelled overseas with her friends and partner—experiences she cherished.

In her final message posted online, Dominique wrote: “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. Please never forget I will always love you all so much.”

“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 again.

Heaven will be a place of peace, where my body is no longer broken or full of cancer. And I’ll be reunited with loved ones, people I’ve known and those I haven’t yet had the chance to meet. Most of all, I’ll be in the presence of Jesus. The thought of being free, at rest, and healthy again brings me so much comfort.”

She continued sharing the realities of her condition, even documenting the yellowing of her eyes—a sign of liver failure—with the same grace that defined her journey.

Dominique embodied grace, intelligence, compassion, and quiet strength.

Her story is a profound reminder that even in life’s darkest hours, courage and human connection can illuminate the way. It’s also a sobering truth that life can be taken from anyone, at any moment — and that every day we have is a gift not to be wasted.

Thank you, Dominique, for sharing your light with the world. Your honesty and strength have changed lives. Rest in peace.