Sydney Towle
American influencer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sydney Elizabeth Towle (November 15, 1999 – August 5, 2026) was an American influencer best known for her content creation about her life as a person with cholangiocarcinoma. Prior to her diagnosis, she created lifestyle content. She died on August 5, 2026, from complications of her cancer.
Sydney Towle | |
|---|---|
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| Born | November 15, 1999 |
| Died | August 5, 2026 (aged 26) |
| Education | Dartmouth College |
| Occupation | Influencer |
Biography
Towle was born on November 15, 1999, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. She attended Dartmouth College, where she studied government and environmental studies.[1] She soon became an influencer on TikTok, and accrued more than four hundred and fifty thousand followers. In 2023, she noticed a bulge in her abdomen, and a month later, it began to hurt. In August 2023, she posted a video tearily announcing she had cholangiocarcinoma.[2]
After this announcement, she began to create content focused on her life with cancer, including exploring New York City, where she had moved to be closer to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and dealing with symptoms of her illness. One of her videos featured her at a chemotherapy appointment. Another featured her scuba-diving. At this time, while her following continued to grow to more than seven hundred and fifty thousand, she also began receiving online hate from groups speculating falsely that she did not have cancer. Some individuals in these groups contacted companies she partnered with and the cancer center she was treated at. In response to her critics, she stated "I'm sorry they are so angry that living with cancer can look different than they think it should".[2]
In 2025, she was a featured speaker at the Cholangiocarcinoma Conference. That same year, she set up a GoFundMe campaign to fundraise for her mother, who had been laid off by DOGE.[2] She also spoke at The Business of Fashion Business of Beauty Global Forum.[3]
In January 2026, she reflected on her mental health and infertility caused by chemotherapy,[4] and in February 2026, she stated she felt like she was "slowly fading away from life and reality".[5] In March 2026, she received news that her tumors had grown, which "hit harder than it normally does", but she stated that she was "still very hopeful".[6] In April 2026, one of her tumors was removed, which she revealed in a video featuring her with a wand and tiara.[7]
In May 2026, she posted content of herself in the hospital, and that same month, she learned her cancer had spread to her peritoneum. Days later, her doctors began asking her to consider end-of-life care. However, she decided to change doctors instead. She also modeled for Miami Swim Week around the same time.[8] Tumors were found in her lungs two weeks later.[9]
In June 2026, she announced it had become too difficult to live on her own and she would move in with her mother.[10] On August 4, 2026, her brother announced she had entered hospice.[11][12] She died on August 5, 2026, from complications of her cancer.[1]
Personal life
Towle was survived by her brother Austin and mother Elizabeth Morrow. Her father, Philip Towle, died in 2016.[1]