Stocks● Neutral
Sydney Towle, 26, Dies; Redefined Young Cancer Influencers
Sydney Towle, 26, died of bile duct cancer after documenting treatments and life on TikTok for three years. Her story reflects a rising trend of young cancer influencers.
Continue with
Sydney Towle died on August 5 at 26 from cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer she documented for three years on TikTok. Her brother Austin Towle and mother Elizabeth Morrow told her 1.1 million followers the next day: "We thank all of you for your support over the years."
Towle was 23 when she went to a doctor for what she thought was a hernia. The diagnosis upended her life. She started posting videos about her surgeries, scans, chemotherapy, and clinical trials. She also posted trips with friends, sunny walks, a song dedication from the band Royel Otis. Some videos drew millions of views.
She was part of a growing wave. Cancer rates in people under 50 have been rising for colon, breast, and other cancers, according to published data. Young patients who are fit, eat clean, and have no family history still get sick. Towle and others use social media to make that point: no one is safe, so get symptoms checked.
Sarah Barness, diagnosed with breast cancer at 27 alongside her sister Sophie, wrote for Business Insider after remission: "It felt odd to be nostalgic for a time I should want to forget, but I missed chemo because I had structure, abundant support, and sympathy, both in-person and online."