Dominique McShain’s life was like that of any other young woman. At 21, she was a third-year psychology student at university, chasing a dream of becoming a clinical psychologist. She had plans—finish her studies, start a career, and one day, become a mum. But earlier this year, everything changed. Dominique started to feel unwell. What began as tiredness and some mild symptoms quickly spiraled into a devastating diagnosis that would change her life forever.
“I’m making this video because two weeks ago, I was diagnosed with incurable colorectal cancer,” Dominique said in a deeply emotional TikTok video, her voice steady but her eyes filled with the weight of the words she was saying. “It’s spread to my liver, and my doctors have given me one to five years to live. I’m only 21. That’s 25 at most.”
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Dominique’s video, a raw and honest account of her diagnosis, quickly went viral. Her courage in the face of such crushing news struck a chord with people around the world. The young woman who had once kept her private life exactly that—private—was suddenly baring her soul to strangers, hoping that her story could make a difference, hoping that by sharing, others might catch their cancer before it was too late.
In an interview with chrislynchmedia.com she said ” “I was going to help people through psychology” a dream that now feels distant, just out of reach. “But I realised that maybe I can still help people—just in a different way.”
@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
For Dominique, that ‘different way’ meant raising awareness, especially about the alarming rise in colorectal cancer among younger people. “It’s happening more and more,” she explained, “and I want to share my symptoms, raise awareness so others can catch it before me—because this sucks. Everything I wanted for my life has been taken away from me.”
The symptoms started out subtle, easy to brush off as part of the demands of being a busy student—excessive tiredness, switching between constipation and diarrhoea, and some blood in her stool. But things escalated quickly. Dominique began to experience intense abdominal pain, lost her appetite, and noticed that her stomach had changed shape, swollen due to the cancer spreading to her liver.
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“It was surreal when the doctors told me,” Dominique recalled. “I had no family history of this. I remember being sent home from the hospital after a biopsy, and then that afternoon, they called me back and told me I had cancer. A few days later, they told me it was terminal.”
The gravity of those words still weighs heavily on her. “I remember asking the doctor about freezing my eggs, knowing the chemo would affect my fertility. And he said it depended on my lifespan. That’s when it hit me. This wasn’t just cancer. It was terminal.”
Through all of this, Dominique has managed to stay remarkably positive. But as she’s quick to remind people, what you see on social media isn’t the whole story. “There are lots of days where I’m crying, my family is crying. It’s awful. But in general, I’m a positive person. I don’t want to live the time I have left being negative. What’s the point of that?”
Despite the gruelling chemotherapy, which often leaves her too weak to get out of bed, Dominique makes a point to stay hopeful.
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Recently, she received her first piece of good news since her diagnosis—after trying a new chemo drug, her tumour markers dropped significantly. It doesn’t guarantee that her cancer is shrinking, but it’s a sign that things might be moving in the right direction.
“For the first time since this all started, I got some good news,” Dominique said with a small smile. “And that gives me hope. As long as I’m alive, there’s always a chance.”
Outside of her cancer journey, Dominique has found moments of joy in life’s big milestones. In December, she’ll be marrying her partner. The wedding, set in the hills of Christchurch, will be a celebration of love, life, and hope.
“We’re having a real wedding, and it’s all pretty much sorted,” she shared, a flicker of excitement in her voice. “We even did a mock wedding photoshoot for my 21st birthday, thanks to a lovely local photographer, Lavender Turner. It was a beautiful experience.”
Though her future remains uncertain, Dominique continues to share her journey, documenting the ups and downs with raw honesty. And while her plans for a long career and motherhood may have been tragically altered, her determination to leave a lasting impact has never wavered.
“I don’t want to let cancer define me,” she said. “I want to make a difference, help people, and live the life I have left with as much love and joy as possible.”
To help Dominique live her best life you can donate to her Give a Little page
