Influencer Sydney Towle, 26, has entered hospice care following a three-year battle with a rare form of bile duct cancer, her family announced Tuesday. Towle gained a significant online following by openly sharing her experiences with cholangiocarcinoma, including treatment, hospital stays, and personal milestones.
Her brother, Austin, shared the update via a TikTok post, accompanied by a photo showing Towle with family and friends. "Sydney has been moved to hospice and is surrounded by her friends and family. Thank you all for your love and support," the text on the image stated. He added in the caption, "Thank you all so much. Your love and support does not go unnoticed."
In recent months, Towle had been preparing for an experimental tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) clinical trial after her chemotherapy ceased to be effective. This treatment involved surgically removing a portion of a tumor to isolate and grow immune cells to combat the cancer. Earlier in her treatment journey, she described a chemotherapy trip as one of her "top five worst days," noting that her mother accompanied her because nurses doubted her ability to make the journey alone.
In late April, Towle shared another setback, revealing that her chemotherapy was not working and that her cancer had progressed. "I still have a feeling that everything is going to be okay, but I also am really, really scared that it's not," she tearfully told her followers, expressing a desire for "more Aprils" and more life.
Weeks before entering hospice, Towle walked the runway at Miami Swim Week in May. This appearance followed a period where she had sought a second medical opinion after her oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering recommended she transition to end-of-life care. Towle subsequently transferred her care to another hospital. Her new oncologist reviewed her scans and cleared her to continue treatment and travel to Florida.
At Miami Swim Week, Towle modeled swimwear designed for post-cancer bodies, an experience that resonated deeply with her as she had struggled with body image changes, including the visible presence of a hepatic artery pump. "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.
The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation has recognized Towle as a strong advocate for those living with the rare cancer, encouraging patients to seek all available options and reminding followers to "just keep swimming." Beyond social media, she partnered with Little Words Project to create "Happy To Be Here" bracelets, raising over $34,000 for the foundation. She also joined Team CCF for the New York City Marathon fundraiser, generating more than $10,000, and collaborated on a pajama collection benefiting the organization.
Throughout her illness, Towle often shared essays on Substack, reflecting on her experiences. In one of her most recent posts, she described how hospitals had transformed from places of fear into spaces of comfort, healing, and hope. Even as her condition worsened, she maintained an optimistic outlook, stating, "People always ask why I'm so positive. Why would I not envision the best-case scenario? The alternative is to not do that and to just be sad."
Austin Towle expressed gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of supporters who followed his sister's journey. "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," he told the Daily Mail.