Sydney Towle, a prominent TikTok creator who amassed over a million followers by sharing her journey with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer), has died at the age of 26. Towle became widely recognized for her candid approach to chronic illness, often using her platform to challenge societal perceptions of how cancer patients should look and live.

Towle’s family announced her passing on Thursday via an Instagram post, which included a heartfelt tribute expressing pride in her resilience. The announcement came nearly three years after her initial diagnosis. Throughout her time on social media, Towle was noted for her spirited personality and her willingness to engage with her audience about the realities of living with a terminal diagnosis at a young age. While the news of her death has been widely shared across social media platforms, specific details regarding her final days or memorial arrangements have not been publicly disclosed by her family beyond the initial announcement.