Sydney Towle, a social media content creator known for openly documenting her battle with a rare form of cancer, has died at the age of 26, according to her family on Thursday.
Towle passed away on Aug. 5, the day after she moved to hospice care, following a three-year battle with cancer.
“We will always love you so much Sydney. I am so proud of how hard you fought. I love you,” the caption reads.
Towle gained 216,000 Instagram followers and 1.1 million TikTok followers by sharing her experience with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer that affects the bile ducts. Over several years, she used social media to provide updates about her treatment, setbacks, and daily life while living with the disease.
Towle was known to bring attention to the cancer and connected online with others facing similar, serious illnesses.
In a May 21 post, Towle shared the story about being told by the oncologist that “I'm at the end of my rope.” Instead of giving up, she refused.
“But I told him no. My rope is not finished yet. I am tying more on with the love of my family and friends and we will move on. Continuing to advocate for myself and for others who aren’t able to. Continuing to find solutions that are outside of the box and that may not seem like the straight, or even right, path forward. Because you never know unless you try.”
Her followers praised her for her honesty, optimism, and willingness to discuss challenging moments. She also encouraged awareness and advocated for cancer research.
“Sydney has been moved to hospice and is surrounded by her friends and family. Thank you all for your love and support,” Austin wrote.
Cholangiocarcinoma is known to be an aggressive cancer that can occur in different parts of the bile duct system, including inside the liver, near the liver, or closer to the small intestine.
Common symptoms include jaundice, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, itching, dark urine, and changes in digestion. Treatment depends on the location and stage of the cancer and may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or other advanced treatments.