Dominique McShain-Suson death: Kiwi influencer dies at 21 after colon cancer diagnosis
In her final Instagram post on April 7, McShain-Suson said:
'My life may be short, but I genuinely think I've squeezed every bit out of it.
'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.'
McShain-Suson went on to describe the acceptance she felt after grieving the loss of future 'key adult moments'.
Her post was flooded with an outpouring of support from family, friends and followers.
McShain-Suson, who studied psychology at Canterbury University, made her final TikTok on April 11.
'Sorry for lack of update, I'm alive but very yellow and veiny and swollen on my stomach which has caused me to gain 7kg which is a lot for my proportions,' she said.
The Herald spoke to McShain-Suson last year, shortly after her diagnosis, three weeks before her 21st birthday.
Just weeks after returning from a holiday to Asia, the third-year psychology student began experiencing extreme fatigue at the start of the first semester in 2024.
Her symptoms escalated to include blood in her stools, alternating constipation and diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and a noticeable loss of appetite. When she felt her liver hard and enlarged, she visited her GP, leading to a series of tests.
Blood tests suggested an infection, but a follow-up test a week later revealed further liver deterioration, prompting an emergency ultrasound.
That night, she was admitted to the hospital, where scans uncovered large tumours in her liver. A subsequent biopsy confirmed it was cancer.
'Being told you have cancer was different because I was almost like, 'Okay, I'll beat it.' But once I got the incurable diagnosis, that was devastating,' she said.
'Everyone always seems to be guaranteed a future, and processing that you might not get that is really hard.'
McShain-Suson said she wanted to spread the message that cancer can strike at any age, urging people to be aware of the early signs.
'People don't realise it's such a blessing to grow old and have babies and do all these things. Now that I've had that opportunity taken away from me, I see things are a lot more of a blessing.
'Nothing is guaranteed in your future.'
An obituary for McShain-Suson was published on Funeral Chapels this week.
'Diagnosed with the disease in 2024, Dominique's fight was a testament to her strength and determination.
'Despite the prognosis, she became a beacon of hope for many, using her personal experience to raise awareness about colorectal cancer.
'Her advocacy efforts, including sharing her journey on social media platforms like TikTok, helped shed light on the often-overlooked disease, especially among younger adults.'
A service to celebrate McShain-Suson's life will be held in Upper Riccarton in Christchurch on Saturday.
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