Lauryn ‘Pumpkin’ Efird’s Grief Deepens Over Handling Anna Cardwell’s Ashes

Lauryn ‘Pumpkin’ Efird’s Grief Deepens Over Handling Anna Cardwell’s Ashes

Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efrid is grappling with the profound loss of her sister Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell, as revealed in a touching moment from the upcoming episode of Mama June: Family Crisis.

In an exclusive preview shared with PEOPLE for the episode airing on July 12, the family faces an emotional juncture when Mama June Shannon informs her daughters, Pumpkin and Jessica “Jessie” Shannon, about the arrival of Anna’s cremains via a three-way call.

“Anna actually came back to us today,” Mama June discloses, prompting Pumpkin to note the swiftness of the process. The family plans to gather, but with a twist for comfort’s sake. “I feel like it would make everybody a little more comfortable. We’re just not ready yet,” says Pumpkin, proposing that they meet at her house instead of revisiting the place of Anna’s passing.

The following day’s gathering is set at Pumpkin’s residence, and Mama June agrees to inform Anna’s husband, Eldridge Toney, of the plan. Pumpkin, in a candid moment with the cameras, shares her apprehension about confronting her grief directly through Anna’s ashes.

“With Anna gone, I’m still not okay,” she admits, her voice heavy with emotion. “And then getting the call that her cremains are ready is like, what the f—. Life, I know, has to continue to move on, but I just hope this doesn’t set me back, because I just got out of that funk.”

Anna’s untimely death in December 2023 followed a tough battle with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma, diagnosed earlier that year. She was only 29 years old.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Mama June discusses how the family keeps Anna’s memory vibrant, including a unique tribute involving her ashes. “We very much still today, even six months later, keep her memory alive. For me, I personally have to talk about it all the time. She’s actually here with us today,” she reveals, pointing to her charm bracelet. “That was her thing, that she wanted to be cremated and toted around, so I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s go, girl.'”

Reflecting on the tragic loss and its impact on their lives, especially under the public eye of reality television, Mama June opens up about the unexpected hardship. “We never thought that we would have to lose somebody in our family. We didn’t think we was going to experience that ever in reality TV,” she states, shedding light on the personal challenges they face behind the scenes.

Catch the emotional episode of Mama June: Family Crisis airing Fridays, at 9 p.m. ET, on WEtv.

 

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