By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-06 14:56:55 | Updated at 2026-08-06 19:27:52
4 hours ago
Influencer Sydney Towle, 26, has died just days after her family revealed that she had entered hospice amid her battle with a rare cancer.
Her death was announced by her loved ones in a heartfelt message on Instagram on Thursday.
'Rest in peace Sydney Elizabeth Towle. November 15, 1999 to August 5, 2026,' said a text overlay on an image of her posing on top of a mountain.
'An endless ray of sunshine. A daughter, sister and friend to so many.'
'We will always love you so much, Sydney,' they added in the caption. 'I am so proud of how hard you fought. I love you.'
Two days prior, her brother, Austin, revealed in a TikTok post that she had entered hospice.
He shared a photo of the 26-year-old, who had bile duct cancer, surrounded by family and friends, writing: 'Sydney has been moved to hospice and is surrounded by her friends and family. Thank you all for your love and support.'
Austin spoke to the Daily Mail about his sister's journey on Wednesday.
Influencer Sydney Towle, 26, has died just days after her family announced that she had entered hospice amid her battle with rare bile duct cancer
The TikTok star opened the Chemo Club x Post Swim show at Miami Swim Week in May
'Syd has fought so hard through all of this,' he said. 'She is surrounded by her loved ones and she made such a positive impact on so many people.
'My mom and I thank everybody who followed her journey and supported her along the way.
'To the people who have followed Sydney's journey, thank you so much for the words of encouragement and endless support.
'Sydney was a young woman who faced a challenge no one should ever have to face. She was able to use her social media to raise awareness for a horrible disease and did so much good. We will continue to honor her legacy and we will just keep swimming.'
Diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma at the age of 23, Towle had built a devoted following by candidly documenting every stage of her treatment, from difficult scan results and hospital stays to milestones she refused to let cancer take away.
In late April, she revealed she had faced a major setback when her chemo stopped working.
'Unfortunately, chemo is not working again. So everything's grown,' Towle told followers.
'I still have a feeling that everything is going to be okay, but I also am really, really scared that it's not,' she said through tears.
Two days prior to her death, her brother, Austin, revealed that his sister had entered hospice
Diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma at the age of 23, Towle had built a devoted following by candidly documenting every stage of her treatment
'I want more Aprils, and I want more happiness and friendship and love and life. I'm terrified that's not gonna happen, but we'll just get through tomorrow, and then we'll take it as it comes.'
In May, Towle revealed that her oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering had told her he was no longer willing to continue treating her cancer and instead recommended she transition to end-of-life care.
'We are not at the point where we're giving up,' Towle said in a TikTok alongside her mother, Elizabeth Morrow. 'That is not the line of treatment that I am going under at this moment.'
Towle then transferred her care to another hospital, where a new oncologist reviewed her scans and cleared her to continue treatment.
Just over a week later, the influencer walked the runway at Miami Swim Week, opening the Chemo Club x Post Swim show.
She joined three other women who were either undergoing cancer treatment or were cancer survivors to model swimwear designed specifically for post-cancer bodies.
Towle said the opportunity resonated deeply because she had struggled to embrace changes to her own body after treatment, including a hepatic artery pump implanted in her abdomen that remained visible beneath a swimsuit.
'Being able to walk for a swimwear brand that is empowering women to embrace those scars ... is so empowering, and it makes me feel even more proud to be in the body that I am that has carried me through so much,' she told People.
Throughout her illness, Towle often reminded supporters to 'just keep swimming' and shared candid updates about the challenges and triumphs of living with cancer
Even as her condition worsened, Towle refused to let fear dictate her outlook
The trip almost didn't happen. Towle had been hospitalized until May 22 after a series of complications, but said her new medical team ultimately encouraged her to make the journey.
In recent months, Towle had been preparing for the next phase of an experimental tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) clinical trial, which she pursued after learning her chemotherapy had stopped working.
Even as her condition worsened, Towle refused to let fear dictate her outlook.
'People always ask why I'm so positive,' she said in one recent TikTok. 'Why would I not envision the best-case scenario? The alternative is to not do that and to just be sad.'
She acknowledged that comments suggesting she had only days left to live could be painful to read, but said she refused to let them define her outlook.
'Miracles happen every day,' she said. 'Nobody knows for sure what's gonna happen.'
