Austin Towle said on Tuesday, Aug. 4, that his 26-year-old sister is “surrounded by her friends and family” in a heartfelt TikTok update
Credit: Sydney Towle/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Influencer Sydney Towle’s brother, Austin Towle, shared that the 26-year-old has entered hospice care amid her journey with cancer
- Austin said on Tuesday, Aug. 4, that Sydney is “surrounded by her friends and family” as loved ones remain by her side
- Sydney documented her battle with rare bile duct cancer for her more than 1.1 million TikTok followers, often sharing messages of hope and optimism
Sydney Towle’s family is sharing an update on the influencer’s health.
On Tuesday, Aug. 4, the 26-year-old content creator’s brother, Austin Towle, said that Sydney has entered hospice care, sharing a photo on TikTok of family and friends gathered around her hospital bed.
“Sydney has been moved to hospice and is surrounded by her friends and family. Thank you all for your love and support❤️,” the text overlay on the image reads.
Austin echoed that message in the caption, writing, “Thank you all so much. Your love and support does not go unnoticed.”
The update comes after Sydney spent months documenting her latest round of cancer treatment for her more than 1.1 million TikTok followers, who have closely followed her journey since she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer, about three years ago.
Most recently, Sydney had been preparing to undergo the next phase of a clinical trial involving tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. She shared regular updates from the hospital, where she anticipated spending several weeks as part of the treatment process.
@sydtowle #duet with @syd period
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Even as she faced mounting health challenges, Sydney continued to approach her diagnosis with optimism.
“People always ask why I’m so positive, and it’s like, why would I not envision the best-case scenario, the best way of things working out?” she said in one of her recent TikTok videos. “The alternative is to not do that and to just be sad.”
She also acknowledged that reading comments about her prognosis could be difficult.
“I won’t lie, the comments sometimes really get to me when I see them saying like, ‘She has days left,’ or just sad things like that,” Sydney said. “It’s hard to read stuff like that about yourself.”
Still, she said she refused to let those comments diminish her outlook.
“But then I’m like, why would I let that ruin my optimism or my hope?” she added. “Because ultimately, it’s my life, and if I believe that things will work out and be good, that’s my choice, even if that doesn’t happen to be true.”
Sydney frequently reminded her followers to hold onto hope.
Credit: Thomas Concordia/Getty
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“Miracles happen every day,” she said. “Nobody knows for sure what’s gonna happen.”
Her hospice update comes just weeks after she continued pursuing treatment through the clinical trial despite sharing that doctors had also discovered tumors in her lungs. Earlier this year, she also walked the runway during Miami Swim Week in a show featuring swimwear designed for post-cancer bodies after receiving clearance from a new specialist to travel.
Sydney had previously shared that she sought a second opinion after a former oncologist recommended she transition to end-of-life care, choosing instead to continue pursuing additional treatment options.
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