Community Champion: Sydney Towle
In 2023, at 23 years old, Sydney Towle was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Since her diagnosis, she has courageously shared her journey on social media, documenting both the triumphs and the challenges of living with CCA. Through her honesty, positivity, and resilience, Sydney has become a powerful voice for the cholangiocarcinoma community.
Sydney inspires others to ask questions, explore treatment options, seek second, third, or even fourth opinions, and advocate for themselves throughout their cancer journeys. She lives each day with an open mind and a clean slate.
She often tells her followers to “just keep swimming”. In March, Sydney was invited to join Team CCF for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. She is one of 29 runners who have collectively raised more than $140,300 for the November 1 race, with Sydney personally raising more than $10,218.
Sydney’s efforts extend far beyond NYC Marathon fundraising. She partnered with Little Words Project to design a custom beaded bracelet with the phrase “Happy To Be Here.” After launching the bracelet at the company’s New York City store, overwhelming demand from her social media community led to two additional online sales events. Together, these efforts generated a remarkable $34,635 for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation through the sale of 6,927 bracelets.
In June, Sydney collaborated with Sleepy Saturday to create and sell a custom-designed pajama set, resulting in the sale of 753 sets and further expanding awareness and support for CCA.
As part of CCF’s 20th anniversary year, Sydney’s fundraising success earned her special recognition among a small group of extraordinary Community Fundraisers who have each raised $20,000 or more through a single campaign or event. Our peer-to-peer fundraisers are an essential part of our community because they are also advocates, extending our reach into networks and relationships that CCF alone could never access, and turning personal connection into lasting impact.
Through her advocacy, fundraising, and unwavering commitment to helping others affected by cholangiocarcinoma, Sydney has made an extraordinary impact on the CCA community. We are proud to work alongside her and are honored to have Sydney Towle as a Community Champion.
To support Sydney’s NYC Marathon: visit her page here.
To learn more about corporate partnerships, reach out to Kaitlin Chamberlain, Community Fundraising Director at [email protected]. You can learn more about Team CCF here and visit the Community Fundraising site to learn about other ways to support CCF.