Emotional Episode of ‘Mama June: Family Crisis’ Chronicles Anna Cardwell’s Journey

Emotional Episode of ‘Mama June: Family Crisis’ Chronicles Anna Cardwell’s Journey 

Six months have passed since the tragic announcement by Mama June Shannon regarding the death of her eldest daughter, Anna Cardwell, who was only 29.

The latest season of Mama June: Family Crisis has begun, offering a poignant glimpse into Anna’s final days in the newest episode of the WeTV series.

In an episode titled “One Last Family Christmas,” viewers watch as Anna’s family grapples with the harsh reality of her rapidly deteriorating health.

Mama June and her younger daughter, Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, first entered the public eye through the TLC reality series “Toddlers & Tiaras.” They later starred in their own show, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” which aired from 2012 to 2014.

After battling a rare and aggressive form of adrenal cancer and enduring several rounds of treatment, Anna decides to stop radiation therapy and opts for hospice care.

“Seeing Anna like that kind of makes reality set in,” her sister Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird says early in the episode.

Pumpkin breaks the news to her younger sister Alana, explaining that Anna is now staying at Mama June’s house, “can’t be left alone” and “hasn’t slept in three days.”

Alana, who is currently in college and in the midst of finals, expresses her determination to come home to see her sister before it’s too late.

“She’s my sister, so if I gotta come home, I’ll come home,” she asserts.

Meanwhile, Pumpkin busies herself with preparing a Christmas celebration to lift Anna’s spirits. She feels a sense of hope when she hears that Alana can come home for a visit, but circumstances quickly change.

Anna’s condition worsens overnight, prompting the family to call the hospice nurse, who believes Anna is “transitioning.”

In a confessional, Mama June reveals her fragile emotional state.

“No matter how much you knew it was going to happen, it is still f—- — like, what? It’s kinda like it takes a minute for you to process it,” she shares.

Pumpkin brings her children to visit Anna and is shocked by how much her sister’s condition has declined. She and Mama June start contacting family members to inform them that they should come to say their goodbyes if possible.

Despite a rocky relationship with her own mother, Mama June encourages her to visit Anna.

“I allowed that because my mom and (Anna) were close,” Mama June says in a confessional.

Pumpkin is touched by this gesture and shares her reaction in her own interview: “At the end of the day, Mama has done right by Anna because that is one thing that Anna asked for was for everyone to get along, at least for her.”

As the nurse advises taking things “a minute, an hour at a time,” Pumpkin tries to see if Alana can change her flight to get home sooner.

“Anna’s transitioning so, so quick and the one wish that I have right now is that Alana just makes it on time to say goodbye to Anna, say what she wants to say to Anna and let her know she loves her because I can’t imagine the toll that would take on Alana if she doesn’t get to say goodbye. I really don’t think that there’s much time left,” Pumpkin expresses.

Alana arrives the next morning, and Mama June informs her that Anna has been asking for her.

“I do recommend that y’all say y’all’s goodbyes today,” she tells her daughters.

During her visit with Anna, Alana discovers that her sister hasn’t eaten in four days and is barely drinking. She tells Anna about completing her first semester of college, to which Anna responds with a muffled, “I’m so proud of you Alana.”

In a confessional interview, Alana becomes emotional as she reflects on the moment.

“I knew what she was trying to (say), that she was proud of me and stuff when I told her that I finished my first semester of college. It was just crazy because I wanted Anna to be able to see me graduate college and now that’s not even gonna happen,” she says.

A tearful Mama June speaks to producers outside her home a few hours later, explaining that Anna likely has “maybe a day” left.

“The last days of her life, it’s just a lot,” she admits.

Anna passed away surrounded by her loved ones. The next day, Mama June announced her daughter’s death on social media, saying, “I feel like she won her battle because Anna’s no longer suffering.”

The episode concludes with Pumpkin reflecting on life without Anna.

“We can’t see her again. Now I have to live with that. You know, I gotta pull myself together to keep going,” she says.

Alana also opens up about losing her sister, saying:

“We were all just sitting there talking and she took the last breath. I really wished she’d seen me graduate, but that’ll be OK because she’s gonna be watching over me.”

 

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