Mama June has spoken out for the first time since the devastating death of her 29-year-old daughter Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell.
The reality star, 44, who is best known for her appearances in Toddlers and Tiaras and later Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo, candidly opened up to DailyMail.com about her tragic loss, describing her daughter’s agonizing final days – and how her children are coping with her death.
Anna, who was survived by daughters Kaitlyn, 11, and Kylee, eight, died December 10 of adrenal cancer aged just 29.
Mama June, whose real name is June Shannon, and the rest of the family have now detailed the day of her death, speaking out from their home where her daughter spent her final days.
Mama June has spoken out for the first time since the passing of her daughter Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell
Anna, who was survived by daughters Kaitlyn, 11, and Kylee, eight, died December 10 of adrenal cancer aged just 29
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Mama June shared that Anna had been staying at her house in the days leading up to her passing.
‘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 doting mom continued: ‘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.’
Anna’s sister Lauryn ‘Pumpkin’ Efird, 24, added: ‘She fought until the very end. You could tell at the end that she was ready. She was done.
‘She fought as much as she could so I was telling her, “It’s okay, everybody’s here.”‘
The mom-of-two passed away when the rest of her family ‘were all standing around her in the living room.’
Anna was diagnosed with stage four adrenal cancer in January 2023 after complaining of stomach pain
Mama June, whose real name is June Shannon, and the rest of the family have now detailed the day of her death
Lauryn continued: ‘It definitely happened very quickly. It went from one to five years to 10 months very quickly.’
Asked how Anna’s kids were coping, Mama June explained: ‘I think Kaitlyn is still in shock. Unlike Kylee, Kaitlyn was there when Anna took her last breath.’
Lauryn added: ‘Everybody was screaming because we just didn’t really know what to do or anything.
‘I can’t imagine if that keeps me up at night, I’m sure at times it must keep Kaitlyn up but teenagers aren’t going to say that. We always make sure to ask her how she’s doing, if she’s okay, tell her that it’s okay to cry.’
Discussing the impact of the loss, June said: ‘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.’
Lauryn added: ‘It sucks. Going on in life and… her not being here really kind of f*cks with you at the end of the day.’
But she said their focus was now ‘keeping her memory alive for her kids.’
‘We’re always reminding them “your momma loved you, your momma is always here with you.”‘
The family said their focus was now ‘keeping her memory alive’ for Anna’s kids. Pictured: Mama June with husband Justin and Anna’s daughter Kaitlyn
Anna underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy in an attempt to beat her cancer but, over the summer, the From Not to Hot star revealed that Anna’s cancer was terminal (pictured with husband Eldridge)
Mama June first announced Anna’s death in a heartbreaking Instagram post that read: ‘With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us’
Mama June first announced Anna’s death in a heartbreaking Instagram post that read: ‘With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us.
‘She passed away in my home last night peacefully at 11.12pm. She gave one hell of a fight for 10 months she passed away with her family around her…
‘We love y’all and continued prayers and thoughts for our family [during] this difficult time,’ she added.
Accompanying the caption was a photo of Mama June and her family, including Anna, who sported short hair amid her cancer treatments.
Anna was diagnosed with stage four adrenal cancer in January 2023 after complaining of stomach pain.
The Mayo Clinic reports adrenal carcinoma is a rare cancer that affects the adrenal glands in the kidneys.
The adrenal glands produce hormones that deliver instructions to virtually every organ and tissue in the body.
She underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy in an attempt to beat her cancer but, over the summer, the From Not to Hot star revealed that Anna’s cancer was terminal.
Mama June had previously sat down with DailyMail.com to discuss the lengths she and Justin had been going to in order to help Anna during her treatment
The TV personality also confirmed that the mother-daughter duo had put their previous grievances aside in order to focus on Anna’s health battle
Mama June had previously sat down with DailyMail.com to discuss the lengths she and Justin had been going to in order to help Anna during her treatment.
She explained: ‘In the weeks that she has chemo, we take her to Atlanta. We stay there all week from Monday till Saturday, to make sure that she’s close to the hospital if anything major happens because it is two hours away.
‘So we say it there and then we bring her back home. Then that next week is kind of rough for her so we stay in Georgia to make sure she doesn’t need anything.’
‘Honestly, the people that have been there for her since she’s been diagnosed is me and Justin, Eldridge and the girls,’ the mom said. ‘There’s no other family that come up there and sit with her during her treatments.’
The TV personality also confirmed that the mother-daughter duo had put their previous grievances aside in order to focus on Anna’s health battle.
The pair had endured an extremely fractured relationship – following Mama June’s public battle with alcohol and cocaine addiction in recent years.
But Mama June said that the family had been working through arguments and undergoing counseling as she worked to repair her relationship with her daughters.
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