Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell was not only the eldest of four sisters but also the mother of two girls before her death.
The reality TV star’s family announced that Cardwell died on Dec. 9, 2023, at her mom Mama June Shannon’s home months after being diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal cancer in January. She was 29 years old and a mother to two daughters: Kaitlyn and Kylee.
“With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us,” Shannon wrote on Instagram, sharing news of Cardwell’s death. “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 like she won’t and we will will [sic] be updating y’all with more information as we get it today.”
“We love y’all and continued prayers and thoughts for our family doing [sic] this difficult time,” she concluded.
Cardwell died on Kylee’s 8th birthday surrounded by her sisters — Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird and Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson — as well as her mother and partner, Eldridge Toney.
In May 2023, Cardwell celebrated the accomplishments of her daughters as Kaitlyn graduated from elementary school and Kylee wrapped up first grade.
“I am one proud mama right now and I also can’t believe I am going to have a middle schooler and a second grader give me a minute while I go cry my eyes out,” she wrote on Facebook alongside photos of the special day. “I am so proud of my girls and everything they have accomplished.”
Here’s everything to know about Anna Cardwell’s kids, Kaitlyn and Kylee.
Kaitlyn Elizabeth, 12
Cardwell welcomed her first daughter, Kaitlyn Elizabeth, on July 26, 2012, though kept the father’s identity private. Cardwell raised her as a single mother until she married boyfriend, Michael Cardwell, in 2014 when Kaitlyn was 2 years old.
The little girl was born with an extra thumb, which was a subject on the family’s reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. During a September 2012 episode of the show, Thompson famously said, “I wish I had an extra finger [so] then I could grab more cheese balls!”
Kaitlyn ultimately had the additional finger removed in surgery when she was 4 years old.
Since then, Kaitlyn has grown up to be a fiery character, with her mom frequently joking that she had the attitude of a young adult rather than a child. On her 10th birthday in July 2022, Cardwell wrote a sweet tribute as she entered her pre-teen years.
“Y’all help me wish this crazy and silly and smart girl a happy 10th bday,” she captioned the post. “Omg y’all I have a 10 year old lord help me but if it wasn’t for her I would be a mother she is the smartest and sassiest little girl I know and I am so proud of her…I’m telling y’all she is 10 going in 20 but I love her so much.”
In May 2023, Kaitlyn graduated from elementary school, making Cardwell emotional at the thought of her older daughter growing up fast. In her Facebook post commemorating the special day, Cardwell described how she cried watching her girls grow up, with Shannon commenting about how Cardwell did get emotional during the ceremony.
“U did cry your eyes out tonight for sure while they was singing and up on stage,” Shannon wrote.
Nearly a year after Cardwell’s death, Shannon won custody of Kaitlyn after Michael filed for custody and visitation of his stepdaughter.
“Legal and physical custody of the minor child is to remain with the Defendant [Shannon] and Plaintiff [Michael] will have no right to visitation as such, unless otherwise expressly agreed to by the parties and the minor child,” said a Wilkinson County judge.
Kylee Madison, 8
Cardwell gave birth to her second daughter, Kylee Madison, with her then-husband Michael on Dec. 9, 2015. Cardwell split with Michael two years later.
Before Kylee started first grade in September 2022, her mom penned an emotional post sharing how proud she was of her younger daughter for making the big step into elementary school.
“Y’all I got a first grader 🥺😭😩,” she wrote on Instagram. “I am so proud of my baby for going to first grade she is so smart excuse me while I go cry because I am getting old 😢.”
Cardwell loved spending time with her daughters, doing things like fishing and rafting together on summer days and making “table nachos” as a family. They also often made food together, including homemade brownies.
Cardwell even took herself and Kylee out to get pedicures when Kylee was 5 years old for a mother-daughter date.
“I would say it was a good morning with my baby this morning,” she wrote on Instagram. “we got are [sic] feet done and went to Walmart and got makeup and had breakfast I would say it was a good mommy and daughter day.”
For Kylee’s 6th birthday in December 2021, Cardwell shared that she got her sweetness from her and her sassy temper from her father.
“Ahhh y’all I’m getting old I can’t believe my baby is 6 today god lee,” the reality star wrote in an Instagram caption. “but hey I love this girls she is nothing but personality and craziness and can make u laugh by doing to craziest things and boy does she have a temper but she gets that from her daddy cause she don’t get it from her mama she gets her sweetness from me but mama hope u have a great day at school and have fun.”
Two years later, Cardwell died on Kylee’s 8th birthday.
Source: People
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