Following the death of her firstborn daughter, Mama June Shannon is keeping her babies close.
The TLC star, 44, opened up about her ‘dysfunctional’ family to People after her daughter Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell died at age 29 of stage 4 adrenal cancer in December.
‘We are dysfunctional,’ she said. ‘But we were saying earlier too though, it is always kind of just been us.
‘So regardless of all the hardships and the arguing and all that stuff, we are all we have left,’ added Mama June.
She explained that it’s ‘always’ just been her and her daughters, adding, ‘Their fathers haven’t been involved and stuff like that.
Mama June Shannon opened up about her ‘dysfunctional’ family after her daughter Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell died at age 29 of stage 4 adrenal cancer in December
Chickadee’s mother announced her death on Instagram in December. ‘With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us,’ she began
‘So if today, [my husband] Justin [Stroud] left me, Josh left Pumpkin, Dralin left her, Cheyenne left her, we would all have to move in the same house with the babies and we would just do life,’ Shannon said.
Mama June also shared Stroud’s ‘favorite saying’ about their unique brood: ‘I’ve never seen a family like this.’
‘We can argue sitting right here and in an hour later we’re calling each other and talking like nothing ever happened,’ Shannon explained.
Chickadee’s mother announced her death on Instagram in December. ‘With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us,’ she began.
‘She passed away in my home last night peacefully at 11:12 PM,’ Mama June added.
‘She gave one hell of a fight for 10 months she passed away with her family around her like she [wanted[ and we will will be updating y’all with more information as we get it today.’
Shannon concluded, ‘We love y’all and continued prayers and thoughts for our family [during] this difficult time.’
Chickadee underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy before revealing last summer that her caner was terminal.
Meanwhile, she tied the knot with partner Eldridge Toney on March 4, 2023 in Wilkinson County, Georgia while she still felt well enough.
‘We are dysfunctional,’ she said. ‘But we were saying earlier too though, it is always kind of just been us. So regardless of all the hardships and the arguing and all that stuff, we are all we have left’
Shannon explained that it’s ‘always’ just been her and her daughters, adding, ‘Their fathers haven’t been involved and stuff like that’
The final hours of Chickadee’s life, which she spent in hospice, were filmed for her family’s show Mama June: Family in Crisis
The final hours of her life, which she spent in hospice, were filmed for her family’s show Mama June: Family in Crisis.
After Mama June was awarded custody of Chickadee’s daughters Kaitlyn Elizabeth, 11, and 8-year-old Kylee Madison, her ex Michael Cardwell sued for custody of their daughter Kylee.
In addition to Chickadee, Mama June is mother to Jessica Shannon, 27, Lauryn Efird, 24, and 18-year-old Alana ‘Honey Boo Boo’ Thompson.
