Reality TV star “Mama” June Shannon has rarely ever held back from getting candid about the dynamics of her family and any obstacles they may be facing at a given time. And that’s been especially true over the past several months, as her daughter, Anna Cardwell, battled stage 4 cancer. Shannon has kept the public updated on her daughter’s health battle in that time and, sadly, she’s now confirmed that Cardwell has passed away at the age of 29. With that, she shared a sweet tribute in honor of her child.
Anna Cardwell, known affectionately as “Chickadee,” passed away on the night of Saturday, December 9. Mama June confirmed that information in an Instagram post she shared to her account Sunday afternoon. In the heartfelt post, which featured a photo of their family, June reflected on her daughter’s cancer battle while also sharing additional details:
With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us. She passed away in my home last night peacefully at 11:12 PM. She gave one hell of a fight for 10 months she passed away with her family around her like she won’t and we will will be updating y’all with more information as we get it today. We love y’all and continued prayers and thoughts for our family doing this difficult time #mamajune #prayers #cancersucks #family
The oldest daughter of Mama June, who she shares with David Dunn, Anna Cardwell became a fixture on TV just like her relatives. She first appeared on TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras (which can be streamed by Max subscribers), which essentially made her younger sister, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson a star. From there, Cardwell joined the spinoff series, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which to June’s chagrin, was canceled after four seasons in 2014. She, however, didn’t join her brood for subsequent offshoots, including the show Mama June: From Not to Hot.
Chickadee was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma this past January. Around that time, she’d been undergoing treatment, with her mom also providing occasional updates. Following a hiatus from social media, she returned to Instagram in March, greeting her followers with a message and fresh pic. The young woman, who was mother to daughters Elizabeth and Kylee Madison, subsequently shared a handful of other posts in the months that followed. You can see her update from March down below:
This past May, Mama June spoke about the health struggles her daughter was facing. The matriarch didn’t hold back at the time, saying that she and her family “know what the endgame is and we are prepared for that.” Around that same time, June also shed light on her relationships with her other daughters (who she previously set up trust funds for). She said that they were “in each other's lives” and were just taking everything “day by day.” Also, just days ago, June reached out to fans on Instagram and asked them to pray for her family.
Everyone knows what it’s like to lose a loved one, but only a select group of people have experienced the feeling that comes with losing a child. It’s hard to fathom what the head of the Shannon family is even going through at this point. What seems evident from her statement, though, is that she wants her family to move through this together.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our deepest condolences to Mama June as well as the rest of the family and loved ones of Anna Cardwell during this time.
