Mama June Divulges Daughter Anna’s ‘Terminal’ Cancer Diagnosis Has Been An ‘Emotional Rollercoaster’

Jul 14, 2023

Mama June Shannon's family's ups and downs have played out before the public eye for over a decade. While there have been moments that strained their relationship, the family of reality stars has proved to be resilient. In January 2023, Mama June's oldest daughter, Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell, was diagnosed with Stage 4 adrenal carcinoma. 

After the announcement, the "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" bunch rallied around her to give her much-needed support. In a July 12, 2023, life update, Mama June opened up about how her daughter was fairing months after doctors revealed the prognosis. 

The Shannon family started their reality TV career on TLC's "Toddlers & Tiaras." Due to how June's youngest child, Alana Thompson, stood out, They caught fans' interest, and the fame grew from there. Mama June is a mom of four girls, including Anna, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Elfird, Jessica "Chubbs" Shannon, and Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson.

The family had several spinoffs after their stint on “Toddlers & Tiaras.” Their shows included "Mama June From Not to Hot, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo: Family Sized," and "Mama June: Family Crisis." All this documented the family's good and bad times, including Mama June's weight loss pact, addiction issues, arrest, and the family's estrangement. 

However, since 2021, Mama June has been on a renewed path to fix the rift with her daughters and move on from the sordid years. Part of her rebranding included a 2022 wedding to Justin Stroud. The duo tied the knot in a fairytale-inspired ceremony. Before that, they made their union legal at a courthouse in Georgia. 

Speaking to ET about the occasion, Mama June expressed her happiness about the support she received from her loved ones. 

The TV personality revealed that it was the first time since 2014 that they were together as a family. She relayed that her daughters walked her down the aisle. It is safe to say that once again, fans witnessed the Shannon family come together to help their loved one, Anna, as she battled health complications. 

Per TMZ, Anna's health issues started after she complained of bouts of stomach aches. Doctors carried out a series of tests to determine the problem, and it was discovered that the cancer was present in her liver, kidney, and lung. 

Anna commenced chemotherapy treatments in February 2023, one month after her diagnosis. Speaking about the health update concerning Anna, Mama June candidly let fans in on how they had been coping. She told ET's Deidre Behar that her daughter was handling the condition "pretty good." Elfird chipped, buttressing her mom's point by noting that her sister "genuinely is okay." 

Mama June stated that Anna had undergone four chemotherapy sessions, while Eflird mentioned that she was still agile enough to do daily activities. She shared, "She can still go to the grocery store, she can drive herself, she's still able to take the kids to and from places." She also revealed Anna's appearance, sharing that the reality star "doesn't have hair, she has no eyebrows… or anything like that." 

Lauryn noted how her sister was quite the fighter amid her chemotherapy sessions. This was because "a lot of people thought that it was gonna make her sick and stuff like that, but she bounced back quick."  

At this point, Thompson chipped in that the treatment sometimes wore her oldest sister down, but besides that, "she's pretty good." With her chemotherapy treatment concluded, Ann's following line of treatment may include immune therapy, and according to her mom, she is not sure she would move on with it. 

The TLC mom stated that Anna "just wants to see how it's gonna go,' because they didn't know what to expect. The star mom noted that the cancer was "very aggressive" and grew really fast." Mama June added that the thought of not knowing what was to come was "scary," although they tried to take things "one day at a time." The TV star bared her feelings:

"For me, it's an emotional rollercoaster sometimes. Mentally it's always on my mind. We know it's terminal."   

Mama June reiterated that Anna's condition was at the fourth stage and "she's not gonna go into remission." She relayed that the family accepted that. However, Lauryn revealed she was hopeful about her sister's health. She talked about a possible cure as the "medical field" kept growing. She added that she firmly believed there "will be a cure for some kind of cancer." Thompson echoed similar sentiments noting that she hoped her sister would pull through.  

The family also gave updates on how Anna's preteen daughters were fairing. Lauryn revealed that her oldest daughter, Kaityln was aware, although she might not fully understand. She relayed that Kaitlyn understands that her mom is sick. 

Mama June added that the 10-year-old stays close to Anna and goes everywhere with her. They added that her younger daughter, Kylee, was too little to comprehend. Anna welcomed her daughters, Kaityln and Kylee, from her former relationships with Caleb Clark and Michael Cardwell. 

What are your thoughts on how Mama June and her family try to stay strong amid Anna's ailment? Do you know anyone fighting through an ailment? Send out your good wishes, and be sure to pass this on to other Mama June fans.