Anna Cardwell’s Family Feared ‘She’s Not Living in Reality’ as Her Cancer Worsened: ‘She Doesn’t Want to Face It’

Months before Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell’s death, her family expressed concern that she had not been realistic about her cancer journey.

In the episode from Friday Mama June: Family crisisAnna went through her “fourth round of chemotherapy and final round of chemotherapy” after being diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal cancer in January 2023.

“I’m glad it’s finally over and my hair can finally grow back,” said Anna as she received the treatment.

Her mother Mama June Shannon opened up about the toll chemotherapy had on her daughter, explaining: “Justin and I were with Anna every cycle of chemotherapy. As in the first round, it was fine. She didn’t have any side effects, but she lost her hair quite quickly. In the second round, she was very nauseous. She almost slept through the third round. Here we are in the fourth round and I fear what will happen after the chemo is out of her body.”

Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell. Anna Cardwell/Instagram Anna Cardwell’s husband is finally emotionally ready to go through her things 2 months after her death (Exclusive)

She added: “The thing I hate about freaking cancer, and especially her cancer because it’s so aggressive, is that we don’t know.”

The 44-year-old reality star called the experience of caring for her daughter “very emotionally and mentally and sometimes physically draining.”

Anna admitted that she was surprised that her mother jumped into action and spent time in Atlanta to help care for her after a difficult period in their relationship. She said: “I’m honestly a bit shocked that mum does everything she does and I’m very grateful for that because everyone knows me and mum’s relationship isn’t the best. It’s been on and off for more than eight years.”

She shared that their bond is going from strength to strength and that their relationship is “back to where it was,” adding that June has been an “incredible help” during the ordeal.

Despite wanting to be by her daughter’s side, June admitted there was “a lot going on in my life at the moment”, adding: “We just found out Anna has cancer [and] he is now undergoing treatment. We have to go back and forth to Alabama. We live in and out of a suitcase. It is very mentally and emotionally exhausting for me. I hate that it’s adding stress to our newlywed life right now, but I mean, I have to be there for Anna.”

Mama June visits Build Series to discuss ‘Mama June: From Not to Hot’ at Build Studio on June 11, 2018 in New York City.

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When Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird visited her mom and stepdad Justin Stroud’s rented house, Anna told her sister that she hoped the chemotherapy was “working” and that she planned to adopt a healthier lifestyle to extend her “life expectancy” with the hope of seeing her daughter Kaitlyn is entering high school.

However, Lauryn, 24, believed the family needed to focus on things outside of Anna’s cancer treatment to make sure her affairs were in order before her death.

After learning that the doctor had told Anna she would live “5 or 10” more years, Lauryn told her mother, “She’s not living in reality at all, Mom, like she doesn’t realize she’s going to die. I think she knows she’s going to die.” June then quipped, “But he doesn’t want to face it.”

When Pumpkin insisted that her sister must prepare for death, June agreed. She told Lauryn that she tried to get a “death policy” for Anna, but said her daughter refused to give her the necessary information for the policy.

Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell and her daughters.

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“I’m kind of shocked that mom even looked into life insurance policies for the girls and for Anna,” Lauryn said in the confessional, referring to Anna’s daughters Kaitlyn Elizabeth, 11, and Kylee Madison, 8. “But honestly, I think it’s very important because they girls priority. Anna’s husband, Eldridge, is not even the biological father of the two children.”

“Kylee, her dad is still in the picture. So legally he would get custody of her. But you know, with Kaitlyn, she doesn’t have her dad around or in the picture at all,” she added. “So it’s like, where is she going to go?”

Lauryn wished her sister would get everything sorted out so they could enjoy their final months together, telling her mother, “The cancer part wouldn’t be so bad if she just fixed the things that needed to be fixed, got her affairs in order. and then we could all just hang out and worry about spending time with her.”

During the conversation, June shared that Anna mistakenly believed her husband Eldridge Toney would get custody of the children because they were married, but that was “not the case.”

Lauryn said June should have talked to Anna about her wishes for her children, but her mother told her it was like “talking to a brick wall.” The conversation ended with Lauryn insisting that it’s still her responsibility, saying, “You wanted the fucking mom title back, you can get it back.”

Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell and Eldridge Toney.

Anna Cardwell/Instagram

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June later told her husband that she and Lauryn “both feel the same way and the reason she kind of stalls is because then she makes it real, like ‘Hey, I’m not going to be around like seeing Kaitlyn graduate from high school, I’m not going to be around to see Kylee graduate.'”

She added in the confessional: “If you had to go to the courthouse and sign a piece of paper that says when I die, this is who will have my child. Like, it’s a hard pill to swallow. And I think sometimes people are so quick to say what they would do in that situation, but until you’re in that situation, you don’t know how the hell you’re going to be.”

June realized that she and Justin needed to find a house, especially since Eldridge had told them that he “wouldn’t be able to handle it” if Anna went to hospice. She added: “She will have to be with us, we will have to watch her 24/7.”

Justin was also concerned about custody of Anna’s children, saying in the confessional, “If me and June end up with custody of Kaitlyn, it’s going to be a big adjustment. Taking care of a child is a big responsibility, but if it’s something we need to do.”

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Mama June: Family crisis airs Fridays at 9pm ET on WE tv.

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Source: HIS Education