TikToker Sydney Towle dies at 26 after battle with stage 4 bile duct cancer: Who was she?
New Delhi: Social media influencer and TikTok creator, Sydney Towle, died at the age of 26 after her battle with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer. She inspired millions of people by sharing her battle with a rare cancer.
She breathed her last on August 5, 2026. She gained fame for her social media posts about her life and encouraged several TikTok followers to rethink how a cancer patient might look and live.
Sydney Towle dies at 26
Her death was confirmed by her family on Instagram. The statement from the family read, “She fought really hard, and we’re so proud of her. We will always love you so much Sydney. I am so proud of how hard you fought. I love you.”
Earlier this week, Towle had entered hospice care.
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In 2023, at the age of 23, Towle was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer, after noticing a bulge in her abdomen. She later moved to New York for her treatment. She was living in Los Angeles after graduating from Dartmouth College, and was working at a remote-office marketing job, surfing and sharing bikini selfies and dance trend videos.
When she felt a bulge and burning sensation in her abdomen, and later she was diagnosed with bile duct cancer Stage 4, which is most often diagnosed in adults over age of 50.
Over the next three years, she underwent surgeries, chemotherapy, and experimental TIL therapy. She also opened spoke about mental health, infertility, and cancer journey.
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In 2024, she told Today, “The doctor thought I had a hernia, but he was like, ‘I’ll send you in for an ultrasound, just in case. I got an ultrasound, and it showed a solid mass.”
In 2025, she was also the speaker at the Cholangiocarcinoma Conference to help raise awareness about the disease.
Despite battling stage 4 cancer, Sydney Towle continued pursue her dreams. She walked the runway at Miami Swim Week for The Chemo Club x Post Swim show. She also planned to run the 2026 New York City Marathon to raise funds for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation.
As her health declines, she moved with her mother and just days before her death, she had entered hospice care.