TikTok star Sydney Towle, who shared her cancer journey online, dies aged 26

Sydney Towle, a popular social media influencer who shared her experience living with a rare, aggressive form of cancer, has died at the age of 26.

Towle's family announced her death, from complications related to bile duct cancer that had spread to other parts of her body, on her social media accounts on Thursday.

"Syd went peacefully last night after an almost three-year-long battle with cholangiocarcinoma," her brother Austin said in a video message, alongside their mother, on TikTok.

Towle, who was moved to hospice care earlier this week, had over a million followers on TikTok and over 200,000 on Instagram.

She spent the last three years chronicling her daily life as a young person going through chemotherapy and living with cancer, with all its hopes, joys and struggles. She had been living in New York City at the time of her death.

"We are so proud of how hard Sydney fought and for sharing her journey with so many people," Towle's family said in a statement.

"She wanted to raise awareness for rare cancers and was passionate about promoting self-advocacy. We will continue her legacy and honour her in every way we can."

Following the announcement of her death, thousands of followers posted messages on Towle's social media accounts paying tribute to her and sending well wishes to her family.