By the time Sydney Towle graduated from Dartmouth College in 2022, she had a growing social media side hustle.

On TikTok, where she posted videos, her fans watched her perform dance moves in her kitchen and lip-sync to popular songs. She modeled clothing and posed in bikinis on the beach.

Within a year, she was an influencer in full, with more than 450,000 followers.

But her content took a sharp turn in August 2023. In a pink bikini top, her face stained with tears, she spoke directly to the camera. “I have cancer,” she said. “I am strong, so I’ll be good.” She flashed a thumbs-up and an awkward smile.