TikTok star Sydney Towle has died at the age of 26 after a three-year battle with a rare form of bile duct cancer.
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Towle passed away on Wednesday, August 5, after being diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma when she was just 23 years old.
TikTok Star Sydney Towle Dies at 26
Towle's family announced her death on Thursday, one day after she passed away.
"We will always love you so much Sydney," the caption reads. "I am so proud of how hard you fought. I love you."
The post featured a photo of Towle standing in the mountains alongside the words: "An endless ray of sunshine. A daughter, sister and friend to so many."
Her older brother, Austin, shared the same image on TikTok, describing Sydney as "the best sister ever."
"I will always love you so so much," he wrote.
Just one day before her death, Austin revealed that Sydney had entered hospice care as her health rapidly declined.
He said she was surrounded by friends and family and thanked everyone who had supported her throughout her cancer journey.
Sydney Towle Shared Her Cancer Journey
Towle documented her battle with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer, while building an audience of more than one million followers on TikTok.
Over the course of her treatment, she underwent multiple surgeries, several rounds of chemotherapy and participated in clinical trials as doctors searched for options to slow the disease.
In May, Towle revealed that her cancer had spread.
She later said her oncologist had refused to continue treating her cancer and encouraged her to begin end-of-life care.
"I was definitely in complete shock because, as my mom and I had said in that video that I made afterwards, we had never been told that that was the path that we were going towards," she told PEOPLE.
"No one had ever mentioned hospice or end-of-life care. So to be told that, we were both expecting just to have a conversation with him that morning about my treatment plan."
Rather than accept that recommendation, Towle sought treatment from a new specialist.
She also refused to let her illness define her. Just days after receiving the devastating news, she traveled to Florida to take part in Miami Swim Week.
She modeled beachwear designed for post-cancer bodies during The Chemo Club x Post Swim show.
