Reality TV star Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell is dead at the age of 29. Chickadee, as she was famously called, was the daughter of reality TV star Mama June and a member of the Shannon family. Chickadee’s death came as a shock to many reality TV audiences who had been hopeful for her recovery.
Chickadee had been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer in January 2023. For almost a year, Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell battled with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma, with family and close friends providing the necessary support, as well as millions of fans pouring love and prayers for the 29-year-old. Here’s more about Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell’s life, family, and death.
Who Was Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell?
Chickadee might not have been a famous name for most movie audiences, but she had a special place in the hearts of television audiences, especially reality TV viewers. Anna Cardwell was the eldest of Mama June’s four children—Cardwell, Jessica Shannon, Lauryn Efird, and Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson. Chickadee was born on August 28, 1994, to her teenage mother, who was 15 then. As a teen mother, Mama June planned to offer Chickadee up for adoption by her aunt and uncle. However, by a stroke of luck, the paperwork was never completed. Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell was raised by her maternal grandmother.
Growing up, Chickadee had a strained relationship with her mother. While living with her mother, her mother’s boyfriend, Mark McDaniel, sexually abused Chickadee at age 8. Much of the strain from her relationship with her mother stemmed from her mother’s disbelief of McDaniel abusing her. However, like her mother, Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell also became a teen mom. Chickadee gave birth to her first child, Kaitlyn Elizabeth, in 2012.
Chickadee married Michael Cardwell on May 25, 2014, and had her second daughter, Kylee Madison, in 2015. The couple eventually separated sometime in 2017, with Chickadee moving back home to Georgia. After her separation from Cardwell, Chickadee began dating Eldridge Toney. Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell died on December 9, 2023, and is survived by her two daughters, mother, and siblings.
Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell’s Reality TV Career
Chickadee first appeared on reality television in 2012 in the TLC reality series Toddlers & Tiaras. The show centered around the personal lives of contestants’ families in a child beauty pageant. Although the show involved her youngest half-sister, Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, with Toddlers & Tiaras also focusing on the personal life of contestants, Chickadee was also featured on the show.
Her sister, Honey Boo Boo, made an impression on Toddlers & Tiaras producers and audiences; she was offered her own show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, on the network. Although the show lasted for 4 seasons with 48 episodes, Anna Cardwell only appeared in 24 episodes from 2012 to 2014. TLC canceled the show in 2017 after their mother, Mama June, allegedly began dating Mark McDaniel again. McDaniel had not only been convicted of aggravated child molestation and served 10 years in prison; he was a registered sex offender who abused a young Chickadee.
A few months earlier, in February 2017, We TV began airing Mama June: From Not to Hot, which centered around Mama June’s weight loss transformation journey from 460 to 160 pounds. As a member of the Shannon family, Chickadee made a few appearances on the show. Since the show’s fourth season, it has been rebranded severally from Mama June: From Not to Hot – Family Crisis, Mama June: Road to Redemption, and Mama June: Family for its sixth season. A few weeks before her death, Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell reportedly agreed to be filmed to raise awareness of her rare cancer.
Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell Health Timeline
News of Chickadee’s cancer first broke out in March 2023. It was reported she was battling with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma, which had affected her liver, kidney, and lung. Anna Chickadee Cardwell reportedly went to the doctor after experiencing excruciating pains in her stomach. Four months after her diagnosis was announced, Mama June gave an update, stating, “She’s stage 4. She’s not gonna go into remission. We’ve all accepted that, so I just tell people one day at a time ’cause you never know.”
Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and was said to have fought till the end. Her mother had requested prayers from her Instagram followers a few hours before Chickadee’s death. Mama June broke the news on her page on December 10, 2023, with the caption, “With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us. She passed away in my home last night peacefully at 11:12 PM. She gave one hell of a fight for 10 months. She passed away with her family around her….” Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell’s death was a big loss to family and reality TV audiences. Also, read about these 36 actors who died in 2023.
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