Anna Marie Cardwell was an American reality television personality, born on August 28, 1994, in McIntyre, Georgia. She was best known as the eldest daughter of June “Mama June” Shannon. Cardwell died on December 9, 2023, at the age of 29, after a battle with adrenal cancer.
Who is Anna Cardwell?
Anna Marie Cardwell, known to fans by her nickname Chickadee, was the eldest daughter of June “Mama June” Shannon and David Dunn. She was the older half-sister of Jessica Shannon, Lauryn Efird, and Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson.
Cardwell first appeared on television as a child alongside her family on TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras. She later became a regular cast member on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, the spin-off series that followed her sister Alana’s pageant career and the Shannon family’s daily life.
Cardwell largely stepped away from television after 2014. She was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma in January 2023 and passed away later that year, survived by her two daughters, Kaitlyn and Kylee.
Early Life of Anna Cardwell
Anna Cardwell was born on August 28, 1994, in McIntyre, Georgia. Her mother, June Shannon, was fifteen years old at the time of her birth.
June’s aunt and uncle, Janice and James Shannon, had at one point been planned to adopt Anna, though the adoption ultimately did not go through. Instead, Anna was raised for a period by her grandmother, Sandra Shannon, in McIntyre.
She had three half-sisters on her mother’s side: Jessica Shannon, Lauryn Efird, and Alana Thompson. On her father’s side, she had a half-sister named Candice Dunn.
Anna Cardwell Age
Anna Cardwell was 29 years old at the time of her death on December 9, 2023, having been born on August 28, 1994. Her zodiac sign was Virgo.
She shared her birthday with her younger sister, Alana Thompson.
Anna Cardwell Ethnicity and Nationality
Anna Cardwell was American, born and raised in Georgia. She came from a white, working-class Southern family based in McIntyre, a small town in Wilkinson County.
Her family’s life in rural Georgia became the backdrop for the reality shows that made them famous.
Anna Cardwell Career
Toddlers & Tiaras and Early Fame
Anna Cardwell’s television career began indirectly through her younger sister Alana, who competed in children’s beauty pageants featured on TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras. The family’s appearances drew wide attention for their large personalities and unfiltered lifestyle.
That attention led TLC to develop a spin-off series centered on the family.
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo premiered in 2012 and followed the daily life of the Shannon family, including Cardwell, her mother, and her sisters. Cardwell appeared throughout the show’s run as one of the family’s central figures, often depicted balancing her role as a young mother with life in front of the cameras.
The series ran until 2014, when it was cancelled following controversy involving her mother’s personal life.
Later Appearances
Following Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Cardwell made occasional appearances on family follow-up programs, including Mama June: From Not to Hot and Mama June: Family Crisis. Her most prominent appearance outside the franchise came in 2014, when she appeared on the Dr. Phil show.
After that, she largely stepped back from television to focus on raising her daughters in Georgia.
Anna Cardwell Husband
Anna Cardwell married Michael Cardwell on May 25, 2014. The couple had a daughter together, Kylee Madison, born in December 2015, before separating in 2017.
She was also previously in a relationship with Caleb Clark, with whom she had her first daughter, Kaitlyn Elizabeth, born in July 2012.
At the time of her death, Cardwell was married to Eldridge Toney, her longtime partner. The couple had been together for several years and lived together in Milledgeville, Georgia, along with her two daughters.
Anna Cardwell Children
Anna Cardwell was the mother of two daughters, Kaitlyn Elizabeth, born in 2012, and Kylee Madison, born in December 2015. Kaitlyn’s father was Caleb Clark, while Kylee’s father was Michael Cardwell.
Following Cardwell’s death, her mother, June Shannon, was granted temporary custody of Kaitlyn.
Anna Cardwell Net Worth
At the time of her death, Anna Cardwell’s net worth was estimated at around 500,000 dollars. Her income came mainly from her family’s reality television appearances and related media work, as she had largely stepped away from show business in her final years.
Anna Cardwell Health and Death
In January 2023, Cardwell was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, after experiencing persistent stomach pain. The cancer had already spread to her liver, kidney, and lung by the time of her diagnosis.
By July 2023, her family confirmed the cancer was terminal.
Cardwell underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy over the following months. She later chose to stop treatment and enter home hospice care, surrounded by her family in her final weeks.
Anna Cardwell died on December 9, 2023, at her mother’s home in Milledgeville, Georgia. She was 29 years old, and she was survived by her husband, her two daughters, her mother, and her three sisters.
The Bottom Line
Anna Cardwell became known to television audiences through Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, appearing alongside her mother and sisters from 2012 to 2014. She later stepped back from the spotlight to raise her two daughters, Kaitlyn and Kylee, in Georgia.
She was open with fans about the challenges of her family life, including a strained relationship with her mother that later mended in her final months. Cardwell married twice, first to Michael Cardwell and later to Eldridge Toney, who remained by her side through her illness.
Cardwell died on December 9, 2023, following a ten-month battle with adrenal cancer. We hope you enjoyed reading about Anna Cardwell. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!