TikTok star, 26, moved into hospice care after three-year battle with rare cancer

An influencer who was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer aged just 23 has begun end-of-life care.

TikTok star Sydney Towle has been bravely battling a rare form of cancer for three years and has previously defied doctor advice to move to hospice.

However, the 26-year-old's family confirmed she has entered hospice on Tuesday, August 4.

Her brother, Austin Towle, has been keeping Sydney’s adoring fans updated on her condition in recent weeks as she has been unable to post any content to her own 1.1 million followers since July.

He was forced to share an update nobody wanted to see in his latest post, though, which announced the heartbreaking news.

Writing over a photograph of Sydney's family gathered at her bedside holding an array of stuffed animals, Austin said: Sydney has been moved to hospice and is surrounded by her friends and family."

He then took the time to express gratitude to the thousands of well-wishes she has received, with his post alone amassing 20.4k comments and 417.6k likes.

"Thank you all for your love and support," he added, with a love heart emoji.

In the TikTok post's caption, Austin wrote: "Thank you all so much.

"Your love and support does not go unnoticed."

Who is Sydney Towle?

Sydney, who is based in New York, is an influencer who started her wildly successful TikTok account after learning her shocking diagnosis.

Towle was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma - a rare form of bile duct cancer - which is typically found in older adults.

Given Sydney was just 23 when she learned she had contracted the disease, it made her cancer an extremely rare occurrence.

However, she took the terrible news and turned it into something positive, candidly sharing her experiences on TikTok.

From ruminations on life and death and honest insights into her gruelling chemotherapy to everyday looks at her life, Sydney's inspiring videos earned her a gigantic and loyal following.

Her cancer eventually spread to her stomach and lungs and a doctor had advised her to enter hospice, but instead she sought a second opinion and specialists to help her deal with her worsening condition.

Through her determination, she made an appearance at Miami Swim Week in late May, modelling a specially designed swimsuit that was tailored for her surgical scars and a body that has been dealing with cancer.

Speaking on the major milestone she labelled as one of the proudest moments of her life, Sydney said in a TikTok video: “People always ask why I’m so positive?

"Why would I not envision the best-case scenario?

“Miracles happen every day. Nobody knows for sure what’s going to happen.”

Sydney's last TikTok post was made on July 29 when she shared at her delight over one of her favourite bands, Royal Otis, dedicating a song to her during a gig.

What is cholangiocarcinoma?

Cholangiocarcinoma is a cancer that is found anywhere in the bile ducts, and is commonly known as just bile duct cancer.

The bile ducts are a part of the digestive system, small tubes which connect the major organs in the area, like the liver and gall bladder, together.

The NHS says anyone can get bile duct cancer and it's not clear what causes it, but you are more likely to contract it over the age of 65.

Symptoms of the cancer include: jaundice, itchy skin, darker urine and paler poo than typical, loss of appertite and unexpected weight-loss, fatigue, unusual body temperatures, being sick, pain in the stomach and generally feeling unwell.