June Shannon and her family experienced a serious tragedy at the end of 2023 when her daughter, Anna Cardwell, passed away at 29 following a battle with cancer. The matriarch – who’s also mother to Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson – was very candid about Cardwell's health struggles while she was going through them. Now, nearly two months after her oldest Cardwell’s death, “Mama June” is getting candid about her final days with her. That includes some of the last exchanges she ever had with the child she lovingly called “Chickadee.”
Anna Cardwell received her stage 4 adrenal carcinoma diagnosis in January 2023, after which she began undergoing treatment. It was around that time that the mother of two took a leave of absence from social media. Mama June recently shed more light on that period of time while speaking with DailyMail.com. She explained that Chickadee was living with her and husband Justin Stroud when she died. Also living there were Cardwell’s husband, Eldridge Toney (who she married in a secret wedding in 2023), and two daughters Kaitlyn (11) and Kylee (8). Based on how Shannon described the period of time in which she cared for her daughter, it was emotionally draining for her:
She passed away in mine and Justin's home. Eldridge and the girls and her were living there for three weeks and one day. [I was] hearing her scream my name at night, hearing her little oxygen cord going round... She would not keep her oxygen on for anything.
The Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star also opened up about another intimate family moment, which apparently happened only a day before her daughter died. It also involved one of her granddaughters. Additionally, the mother of four also got honest about the final conversations she had with her child:
The day before she passed away Kaitlyn was helping us give [Anna] medicine - and she would only take it for Kaitlyn. The final things that we all made sure that we said in the last couple of days... I can't tell you how many times I said I love you.
Mama June confirmed her daughter’s death in an Instagram post and asked that the public allow both her and her family privacy. She first opened up about Anna Cardwell’s cancer struggles in May 2023. The sharp-tongued reality TV veteran didn’t hold back her honesty at the time, saying that she and her relatives knew what the “endgame” would be for Chickadee. She also admitted that there were “days where I don’t know [whether] to scream, get mad, or be happy.” June also spoke about her relationships with her other children during that time. As she put it, they were “going through a lot” but were “in each other's lives.” While the clan is still grappling with their loss, more of June’s recent comments suggest that they’re looking to move forward:
I have my good days, I have my bad days – certain things that I'll do remind me of her… We do talk about her quite a bit. We all carry her with us.
Mama June confirmed her daughter’s death in an Instagram post and asked that the public allow both her and her family privacy. She first opened up about Anna Cardwell’s cancer struggles in May 2023. The sharp-tongued reality TV veteran didn’t hold back her honesty at the time, saying that she and her relatives knew what the “endgame” would be for Chickadee. She also admitted that there were “days where I don’t know [whether] to scream, get mad, or be happy.” June also spoke about her relationships with her other children during that time. As she put it, they were “going through a lot” but were “in each other's lives.” While the clan is still grappling with their loss, more of June’s recent comments suggest that they’re looking to move forward:
I have my good days, I have my bad days – certain things that I'll do remind me of her… We do talk about her quite a bit. We all carry her with us.
I would imagine that losing a child is not easy for a parent at all, especially when they must watch their offspring deal with serious medical issues. But, overall, it would seem that Mama June (who now has custody of granddaughter Kaitlyn) is doing her best to keep the faith. One hopes that as she and the family continue to reckon with Anna Cardwell’s death, they’ll find solace in the memories they have of her.
