Mama June Shannon has confirmed that her daughter Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell is currently battling adrenal cancer.
The 43-year-old spoke about her oldest daughter’s cancer diagnosis in an interview with Entertainment Tonight published on May 4.
Shannon told the outlet that Cardwell underwent a second round of chemotherapy to treat her adrenal carcinoma.
She described her 28-year-old daughter’s disease as “very rare and very aggressive.”
The reality television star said that Cardwell first noticed something was wrong in August 2022. Cardwell went to the hospital to help alleviate her back pain. Although doctors found a cyst and removed it, Shannon said her daughter’s health declined.
A few months later, Shannon said Cardwell had “lost all her hair.” She also said the cancer had spread to Cardwell’s liver, spleen and lungs by the time she received her diagnosis.
The mom of four shared how Cardwell has been handling the harrowing news.
“Just depends on what day it is,” she said.
She added, “She sleeps a lot. She doesn’t want to eat some days.”
Shannon is struggling with the diagnosis, as well.
“There’s days where I don’t know (whether) to scream, get mad, or be happy,” she explained. “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.”
Cardwell’s two daughters, 10-year-old Kaitlyn and 7-year-old Kylee, are aware their mother is sick, said Shannon.
“Her children know about it, the 10-year-old more than the 7-year-old,” she shared.
According to People, Cardwell shares Kylee with ex-husband Michael Cardwell. The couple separated in 2017 after getting married in 2014.
Despite the cancer spreading rapidly, Shannon said the family is trying to remain hopeful. ET reported that Cardwell will begin another round of chemotherapy soon. She will have a scan on May 6 and the family expects to receive results on May 9.
Adrenal cancer is a rare disease that can affect children and middle-aged adults, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The cancer causes healthy cells located in the adrenal gland to mutate and grow out of control.
Shannon and her other daughters — 26-year-old Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon, 23-year-old Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird and 17-year-old Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson — will be featured on the next season of their reality series, “Mama June: Family Crisis.” The show’s sixth season premieres on WE tv on May 5.
In a sneak peek from the new season, Shannon opens up about having a strained relationship with her daughters.
The family also addresses other health and relationship problems they have been dealing with during the past few months.