His illness had become a sort of social manifesto, a hymn to life, through the contents he recorded even in the most difficult contexts. Sydney Towle has died at age 26 after battling an aggressive form of cancer. The news was released on Towle’s social media pages on Thursday 6 August, one day after the news of his passing. “We will always love you so much, Sydney – reads the caption – I’m so proud of how tenaciously you fought. I love you.”
Towle told People magazine how, when she was 23, she was diagnosed with the tumor after undergoing an examination because she noticed a large lump protruding from her abdomen.
The American girl had explained that it is “extremely rare” for a person of her age to receive a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma, a rare tumor that affects the biliary tract, the microscopic ducts that connect the liver to the intestine. Since then, Sydney Towle had documented her daily life: surgeries, numerous clinical trials, chemotherapy.
Palliative care
On August 4, Sydney’s brother, Austin Towle, posted a photo on TikTok to announce that his sister had been admitted to a palliative care center. The image showed family and friends gathered around his hospital bed. “Sydney has been moved to a palliative care center and is surrounded by her friends and family. Thank you all for your love and support,” Austin wrote.
In May 2026, Towle flew to Florida for Miami swim week, where she paraded wearing swimsuits designed for the bodies of women who had overcome cancer. “I struggled a lot to accept my body after the surgery, especially because of this pump in the hepatic artery that was implanted in my stomach and which is very noticeable when I wear a swimsuit – she said before the show -. Being able to model for a swimsuit brand that encourages women to accept those scars is truly stimulating, and makes me feel even more proud of having this body that has accompanied me through so many trials”.