Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell had a difficult time accepting death during cancer battle: She was ‘not living in reality’

Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell’s family claims she couldn’t face the reality of her situation and wouldn’t accept she was going to die as she battled stage 4 cancer last year.

In Friday’s episode of “Mama June: Family Crisis,” June “Mama June” Shannon appeared frustrated as she discussed her eldest child with her daughter, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird.

“She is not living in reality at all. She does not realize she’s going to die,” Efird, 24, said of her sister when Shannon explained how Cardwell kept interrupting the doctor when he told her she wouldn’t survive five to ten more years.

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“She doesn’t want to face it,” Shannon, 44, added.

Shannon went on to reveal she had been looking into insurance policies for Cardwell’s two young children, but couldn’t move forward with the process because her daughter refused to hand over her identification documents.

“The cancer part wouldn’t be so bad if she would just fix the stuff that needs to be fixed, get her affairs in order, and then we’d all be able to just hang out and worry about spending time with her,” Efird told her mom.

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Cardwell left behind two daughters, Kaitlyn, 11, and Kylee, 8, when she died at the age of 29 of stage 4 adrenal carcinoma in December 2023. She was diagnosed with the disease in January 2023.

“She gave one hell of a fight for 10 months she passed away with her family around her,” the “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” alum said in a statement following her daughter’s death.

“We love y’all and continued prayers and thoughts for our family [during] this difficult time.”

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Her famous sister, Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, also released a statement to remember her older sister.

“Anna was in so much pain last night but now as a family we all know she is at peace now,” she penned. “I really don’t know what to say as my heart is completely broken. Watching my 29 year old sister this last year battle this horrible disease hasn’t been easy.”

“We will all make sure your legacy lives on forever,” she continued on an uplifting note. “And i promise to always make sure to celebrate our birthday like you never left!”

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“The sky looks a little bit different today. We will always love you Anna 💔.”

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Ahead of her death, Cardwell married her boyfriend, Eldridge Toney, whom she had been dating since 2017.

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Shannon was granted temporary custody of Kaitlyn after Cardwell’s death.

She won custody after Cardwell’s former spouse, Michael Cardwell, petitioned to obtain custody.

Michael is the biological father of Anna’s youngest daughter, Kylee.