TikTok star Sydney Towle, who shared her cancer journey online, dies aged 26
Towle was known for chronicling her hopes and struggles as a young person living with cancer.
Sydney Towle, a TikTok personality who documented her cancer battle online, has passed away at 26. She recently achieved her aspiration of modeling at Miami Swim Week.
The popular social media influencer, Sydney Towle, who openly shared her journey with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, has died at the age of 26. Her family announced her death on Thursday via her social media accounts, stating it was due to complications from bile duct cancer that had metastasized.
"Syd went peacefully last night after an almost three-year-long battle with cholangiocarcinoma," her brother Austin shared in a TikTok video message, appearing alongside their mother.
Towle, who was moved to hospice care earlier this week, had amassed over a million followers on TikTok and more than 200,000 on Instagram. For the past three years, she chronicled her daily experiences as a young person undergoing chemotherapy and living with cancer, encompassing its hopes, joys, and struggles. She was residing in New York City at the time of her passing.
"We are so proud of how hard Sydney fought and for sharing her journey with so many people," Towle's family stated. "She wanted to raise awareness for rare cancers and was passionate about promoting self-advocacy. We will continue her legacy and honour her in every way we can."
Following the announcement of her death, thousands of followers posted tributes and well wishes to her family on Towle's social media accounts.
In May, Towle shared a series of videos from the hospital where she was receiving treatment for cancer-related complications. She revealed that her cancer had spread to her peritoneum, the membrane lining the abdominal and pelvic cavities that protects internal organs. On May 19, she posted a video with her mother in the hospital, stating that her oncologist had informed her he would no longer treat her cancer and recommended end-of-life care. Towle expressed her refusal to accept this, vowing to continue fighting and opting to switch to another specialist.
Despite her illness, she consistently conveyed fervent optimism and joy for life on her social media platforms. She frequently posted videos of herself dancing, getting ready, and enjoying time with friends. She recently fulfilled her dream of modeling, walking in a swimsuit for The Chemo Club x Post Swim show at Miami Swim Week.
"Rich in life because my friends choose to spend a Saturday fundraising for cancer research," Towle wrote in a March post.
"Go get a pint of Ben and Jerry's, watch your favourite movie, remember that life is good and bad things happen sometimes but that doesn't make it a bad life," Towle wrote in another post last year.
Towle was open about displaying her stomach, where she had a hepatic artery pump implanted, on social media. "I have only recently started seeing the resilience and beauty in this body," she wrote in a post last year, accompanied by photos of herself in a swimsuit. "Scars that remind me of how far I've come. And I'm reminded that dreams only end when you allow them to."
Tributes have also been paid to "truly magical woman" Mel Schilling from *Married at First Sight*, and stars have offered support after the husband of influencer Lorna Luxe died.