The content creator, from Christchurch, New Zealand, had over 200,000 followers on the social media platform.
After hearing the heartbreaking news of McShain’s passing, tributes have poured in online.
One fan writes: “You’ve been an inspiration. Truly. Enjoy that long run in the sky. Thinking of you.”
Another adds: “Sweet Dom, your life has shared so much joy and light with the rest of us. All my love.”
“RIP sweet girl,” comments a third follower.
Somebody else says: “You will be greatly missed.”
Earlier this month, McShain revealed to her followers that she had only days to live.
The TikToker was diagnosed with colon cancer – sometimes called colorectal cancer – after noticing blood in her stool, experiencing periods of fatigue, and constipation.
Other symptoms of colon cancer include diarrhea, changes in stool shape, abdominal pain or cramping, and unexplained weight loss.
“Colon cancer is a growth of cells that begins in a part of the large intestine called the colon,” Mayo Clinic explains.
“The colon is the first and longest part of the large intestine. The large intestine is the last part of the digestive system. The digestive system breaks down food for the body to use.”
Cases of colon cancer and other cancers are rising among people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s across 24 countries, including the U.K. and U.S., according to a BBC report. This trend has sparked growing concern among medical experts about early-onset cancer.
One such case was McShain, a 21-year-old psychology student whose life changed dramatically following a devastating cancer diagnosis. Shortly after learning of her condition, she began sharing her experience online, quickly gaining a large following on TikTok.
Doctors initially estimated she had up to five years to live, but she tragically passed away this month, just over a year after her diagnosis.
On April 7, McShain’s fans were deeply moved when she posted what she described as her “final update” on Instagram.
“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 five days ago of only a few days to a few weeks to live. 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% donate a liver to me or do anything they could (and probably argue over who gets to do it).
“Recently, I’ve been picturing Heaven often — a place where l’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.”
McShain added that she ‘checked all of the classic teenage milestones,’ and experienced ‘big adult moments’ like getting married, getting a dog, and traveling.
“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 noted.
“The grief of what I’m missing out on is no longer overwhelming though. Recently, I’ve found a sense of acceptance. Each doctor’s visit, each piece of bad news, has truthfully desensitized me to much of the pain, but in the process I’ve found peace in knowing there’s something more waiting for me on the other side.”
