Mama June Shannon opens up about daughter Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell’s rare cancer battle

Mum June Shannon has revealed how she chose to support her daughter Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell amid the reality star’s battle with a rare cancer.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo fans were devastated to learn that the 28-year-old reality star is currently battling stage 4 cancer in her liver, kidneys and lungs after being diagnosed with adrenal carcinoma in January.

The shocking health news came at a time when the reality star and her siblings had an extremely fractured relationship with their mother – following Mama June’s public battle with alcohol and cocaine addiction in recent years.

However, during an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Mama June confirmed that the couple had put aside their past grievances to focus on Anna’s health struggles.

Doing their part: Mama June, 43, and her husband Justin Stroud, 35, attended chemo treatments with the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star

The star even insisted that she was one of the few family members who took the time to really support Anna.

“Honestly, the people who have been there for her since she was diagnosed are me and Justin, Eldridge and the girls,” the 43-year-old explained. “There is no other family to sit with her during her treatments.”

She continued, “There’s no one to come and see if she’s okay, to make sure she’s got everything. It’s literally me, Justin, Pumpkin (Lauren Efird), Honey Boo Boo (Alana Thompson), Jessica. That is it.’

The star then revealed the effort she and her new husband Justin have made to do their part to help.

Mama June explains, “In the weeks that she has chemo, we take her to Atlanta. We will be staying there all week from Monday to Saturday just to make sure she is close to the hospital if anything serious happens as it is a two hour drive.

“So we’ll say it there and then we’ll take her back home. Then next week will be kind of hard on her, so we’ll stay in Georgia to make sure she doesn’t need anything.’

Indeed, fans have shared their joy after seeing social media posts in recent weeks confirming that the pair have reunited during this difficult time, and are working to mend their strained relationship.

In 2021, Anna was outspoken about creating distance between herself and her mother when June began a romance with Mark McDaniel, who Anna said sexually assaulted her during her adolescence.

Shock diagnosis: Anna, 28, was diagnosed with rare adrenal carcinoma after undergoing a series of tests due to abdominal pain

United front: The reality TV star is currently battling stage 4 cancer in her liver, kidneys and lungs after being diagnosed in January – (L-R) Justin Stroud, Mama June, Lauren ‘Pumpkin’ Efird, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Clark and Alana’ Honey Boo Boo Thompson

However, insiders told TMZ that Mama June and Anna started mending their relationship about a year ago, and they’re a lot closer now as they continue to put the past behind them.

On Wednesday, Anna saw a hopeful health update on her Instagram as she revealed that her chemotherapy treatments are “working.”

Anna posted a photo of herself with boyfriend, Eldridge Toney, at Cracker Barrel in Atlanta, Georgia, and revealed that she is currently undergoing a third round of chemotherapy.

‘Now on to round 3 of the chemo. yesterday was a pretty good day but it got a bit and Cracker Barrel went down well but not up but all in all it’s going well and chemo is working we’re coming to terms with it looking good,” she wrote .

Anna, who has two daughters, Kaitlyn, 10, and Kylee, 7, with her ex-husband Michael Cardwell, initially complained of a number of ailments, including abdominal pain before undergoing several tests. The star then underwent her first chemotherapy session in February.

According to the American Cancer Society, adrenocortical carcinoma – also known as adrenocortical cancer – is a disease that affects an estimated 200 Americans each year.

Doctors are still monitoring her progress before making decisions about further treatment.

Positive update’: Anna recently revealed that her third round of chemotherapy is working, much to the delight of fans

Famous family: Anna first appeared in TLC’s 2009 series Toddlers and Tiaras along with her now teenage sister and their family

Her devastating battle with cancer was previously confirmed by 17-year-old sister, Alana ‘Honey Boo Boo’ Thompson, on Instagram, writing: “This is what I mean when I say you never really know what someone is going through at home. No matter how famous they are.’

“Yes, I am very famous, but normal things happen to me and my family and you need to realize that as soon as possible,” she added.

Sources close to the family report that they are all “very hopeful” that Anna will survive and overcome the rare disease.

Mama June told DailyMail.com that the family will see arguments and counseling work as she works to mend her broken relationship with her daughters.

Her husband Justin admitted that it was hard to watch the girls keep their mother at bay.

“I see the change she makes every day, but they weren’t there to see it,” he explained. “But I also understand where they’re coming from, you know, because I was an addict myself and people get tired of hearing you’re going to do something and then it won’t happen.”

Reconnecting: Mama June and her daughters reconcile in her new series, Mama June: Family Crisis; seen together in March 2022

He continued, “So I’m pretty sure during her addiction June said, ‘Hey, I’m going to change. I’m going to do this. But it never happened.

“The girls just want to see action. And I think the action here lately speaks for itself, so that’s good.’

Anna first appeared in TLC’s 2009 series Toddlers and Tiaras along with her now teenage sister Alana and their family.

In 2012, Alana received a spin-off series titled Here Comes Honey Boo Boo which starred their entire family.

Anna welcomed daughter Kaitlyn in 2012 and married her then-boyfriend Michael Cardwell two years later. They discontinued it in 2017.

Mama June: Family Crisis airs every Tuesday on the AMC streaming service ALLBLK.