Mama June Shannon’s family has certainly seen its share of ups and downs since becoming part of the reality TV landscape. After initially becoming famous alongside her daughter Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson (who’s been accepted into college!) on TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras, Shannon introduced the world to more members of her family on the spinoff Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which premiered in 2012. The past decade-plus has seen some turbulent times for the family, and unfortunately, they’re going through it again. Last month they revealed that Shannon’s daughter Anna Cardwell was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and the mom has opened up about their struggles surrounding the tough news.
Anna Cardwell, aka “Chickadee,” appeared on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and was even at one point hoping to star in her own spinoff. In January the 28-year-old was diagnosed with adrenal carcinoma, and Mama June Shannon has provided fans with an update on how she is handling things, including what they've told Cardwell's daughters. Shannon told ET:
There’s days where I don’t know [whether] to scream, get mad, or be happy. As her mom, we’ve had talks you don’t want to have with your child. We know what the endgame is and we are prepared for that. You’re never prepared, but we know what could happen. Her children know about it, the 10-year-old more than the 7-year-old.
It’s absolutely heartbreaking that Mama June Shannon has to have those kinds of conversations with her daughter, not to mention her grandchildren. Anna Cardwell has undergone several rounds of chemotherapy for the “very rare and very aggressive” cancer, and it sounds like they’ve already had hard conversations about “the endgame,” as the former Masked Singer contestant said. The family is scheduled to get the results of Cardwell’s latest scans on May 9.
The health troubles for Honey Boo Boo’s sister apparently started back in August, when doctors removed a cyst that they thought was the cause of Anna Cardwell’s back pain. However, a few months later she had lost all of her hair, which was reportedly a result of the cancer having spread to her liver, spleen and lungs. Mama June Shannon gave an update on her daughter’s mindset amidst her chemo treatments, acknowledging that her daughter has her bad days. Shannon said:
Just depends on what day it is. She sleeps a lot. She doesn't want to eat some days.
This is not the first traumatic incident that Anna Cardwell has been through in the public eye. Cardwell has spoken openly about being molested when she was 8 years old by Mama June Shannon’s boyfriend Mack McDaniel. McDaniel served 10 years in prison for the crime but reunited with Shannon upon his release. The scandal nearly ended the family’s reality TV deal, before Mama June threatened to sue TLC.
To this day, she continues to be seen on her reality show Mama June: Family Crisis, whose sixth season premiered May 5. It remains to be seen how much — if any — of Anna Cardwell’s cancer battle will be part of the show, which airs at 9 p.m. ET Fridays on WE. We at CinemaBlend continue to send our best wishes to Cardwell and her family as they navigate this difficult time.
