A model who recently made her runway debut at Miami Swim Week just a few weeks ago has tragically been placed into hospice care, where she is ‘surrounded by her friends and family’
Sydney Towle walked on the runway at Miami Swim Week in May(Image: Getty Images for Miami Swim Week: The Shows)
A model who made a confident runway debut just a few weeks ago is now facing life in hospice care.
Sydney Towle, 26, appeared at Miami Swim Week at the end of May, which marked the first time she had ever strutted her stuff on a catwalk. But just a few weeks later, the bombshell has found herself in a hospice, where she is “surrounded by family and friends”, as she continues to receive treatment for a rare form of cancer.
The model and social media influencer has been courageously battling cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive form of bile duct cancer, since 2022, when she was just 23 years old. The cancer is already rare, but when it is found, it usually impacts older adults, making Sydney’s diagnosis exceptionally uncommon.
Sydney was revealed to have been moved into hospice care in a TikTok update shared on Tuesday (4th August) by her brother, Austin Towle, who confirmed the model is being properly looked after.
Alongside a picture of Sydney’s family and friends surrounding her hospice bed, Austin wrote: “Sydney has been moved into hospice and is surrounded by her friends and family. Thank you for all your love and support.”
In the caption, he added: “Thank you all so much. Your love and support do not go unnoticed.”
Since Sydney was diagnosed in 2022 when she was just 23 years old, the woman has not shied away from sharing her struggle on her social media channels. Her vulnerable and inspiring videos gained her 1.1 million followers on TikTok, as she documented everything from gruelling chemotherapy sessions to quiet New York City walks.
She soon built up a community of supporters worldwide, and spent years looking into new pathways and clinical trials that might help her condition, including preparing for tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy when her cancer spread to her lungs and stomach.
Her unwillingness to give up also allowed her to achieve remarkable personal milestones, culminating in her dream appearance at Miami Swim Week in May. She had been previously told by a doctor that she should prepare for end-of-life care, but Sydney sought a second opinion and worked with specialists who helped her manage her condition so she could travel to Miami for the runway walk.
She then took to the catwalk in style, wearing adaptive designs tailored for post-cancer bodies and surgical scars. She later described her catwalk debut as one of the proudest and most empowering moments of her life.
Following the heartbreaking news that she has been moved into hospice care, which is generally for people with life-limiting or terminal conditions, fans and supporters have flooded Sydney and her brother, Austin, with love and support.
One person wrote on TikTok: “Rest, Syd. Love you so much. You changed the world.” Another said: “She helped me through my own cancer journey. I’m near the end of it. Thank you, Syd.”
A third posted: “I’m also a young woman fighting an incurable, terminal stage four cancer. Syd has inspired me more than I could possibly tell her.
“The cruelty and unfairness of this disease are really only understood by a fellow warrior facing terminal illness. Other people try to empathise, but they just don’t get it.
“Please tell Syd that her joy and light have brought so much energy to my fight and have been a beautiful example of courage through strife. I know we will see her win her battle with cancer, whether in this life or the next.”
What is cholangiocarcinoma?
Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, can be found anywhere in the bile ducts. These are small tubes that connect different organs, including the liver and gall bladder, and they are part of the digestive system.
Anyone can get cholangiocarcinoma, and it’s not always clear what causes it. However, you might be more likely to get it if you are over the age of 65 or if you have certain medical conditions, including abnormal bile ducts, long-term swelling in the bowel or bile ducts, a parasite in the liver, bile duct stones, or liver cirrhosis.
What are the symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma?
Bile duct cancer may not have any symptoms, or they can be hard to spot. It also shares many of the same symptoms as other digestive issues, such as gallstones. The NHS says symptoms can include:
- The whites of your eyes turning yellow or your skin turning yellow, which may be less obvious on brown or black skin
- Itchy skin
- Darker pee and paler poo than usual
- Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- Feeling generally unwell
- Feeling tired or having no energy
- A high temperature, or you feel hot, cold or shivery
For more information, visit the NHS website.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
