Is Rare Stage 4 Cancer Battle Bringing Reality TV Star Honey Boo Boo’s Family Together? How Chickadee’s Treatment Is Going

A family source told TMZ earlier this week, “June and Anna were slowly working on building back their relationship about a year ago, but Anna's recent stage 4 adrenal carcinoma diagnosis has rapidly brought the pair even closer.”

Mama June lost touch with her daughter around 2021. Cardwell told The U.S. Sun in an earlier interview that she had “no relationship” with her mom.

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Cardwell's family took to fame when Mama June and her sister Alana Thompson, known as “Honey Boo Boo,” appeared on the TLC show “Toddlers & Tiaras” back in 2011. Thompson was 5 years old at the time. A spin-off show, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” proceeded on TLC in August 2012. It had a four-season run but was canceled while filming the fifth season. Mama June and her then-fiance, known as Sugar Bear, also appeared on the WeTV show “Marriage Bootcamp: Reality Stars” prior to calling off their engagement in 2014.

Cardwell's three siblings are 17-year-old Honey Boo Boo, 23-year-old Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird, and 26-year-old Jessica "Chubbs" Shannonall of who share the same mom, Mama June.

Now, Mama June, who has since married Justin Stroud in 2022, is “stepping up despite not having much of a relationship for several years,” according to the source.

The source also noted, “June immediately knew she had to be there for her daughter after the diagnosis, and feels the past is simply in the past. She's now doing whatever she can to help, including watching Anna's kids.”

Family sources revealed about a week ago to TMZ that Cardwell, a 28-year-old mom of two, received a stage 4 adrenal carcinoma back in January after suffering from stomach pain.

At the time, her sister Honey Boo Boo appeared to confirm her sister's cancer fight on social media, sharing a news story on Instagram and writing, “This is what I mean when I say you never truly know what somebody is going through at home. No matter how famous they are.”

Cardwell was reportedly informed of her diagnosis after complaining of stomachaches and undergoing several tests revealing the cancer had spread to her liver, kidney, and lung.

How Is Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell’s Treatment Going?

Last week, family sources also informed TMZ that Cardwell has already undergone her first round of chemotherapy and has started losing her hair “in chunks” as a side effect.

Photos taken on March 30, 2023, were shared with the news outlet revealing Cardwell’s hair to be seemingly thinning.

Additionally, sources said Cardwell maintains a positive outlook on life and is even in the market for a wig.

As she undergoes cancer treatment, Cardwell, who reportedly quit her sales job to focus on her recovery, is said to be reducing her sugar intake and adding protein to her diet.

She has also reportedly been feeling extremely tired during the day and having difficulty sleeping at night since she started chemo. These are two side effects that people being treated for cancer may experiencing during their journey.

What Is Adrenal Carcinoma?

Adrenal carcinoma (ACC), also known as adrenocortical cancer, is a rare cancer that begins in one or both of the small, triangular glands (adrenal glands) located at the top of your kidneys, the Mayo Clinic explains. Adrenal glands make the hormones that instruct every organ and tissue in your body.

According to The Cleveland Clinic, the adrenal cortex produces hormones, including cortisol, testosterone, aldosterone and estrogen, which “control male and female traits and body functions such as blood pressure and response to stress.”

The two types of ACC are Functioning ACC tumors and Nonfunctioning ACC tumors. The functioning type causes your adrenal gland to create more hormones than normal. The nonfunctioning type doesn't affect hormone production at all.

This type of cancer can develop at any age, however, children younger than five years old and adults in their 40s and 50s are most likely to be affected.

"When adrenal cancer is found early, there is a chance for cure. But if the cancer has spread to areas beyond the adrenal glands, cure becomes less likely. Treatment can be used to delay progression or recurrence,” the Mayo Clinic explains.

Genetic Testing What Is It and Why Is It Important?

And although it's unknown what exactly causes this type of cancer, this type of cancer forms when a change (mutation) occurs in the DNA of an adrenal gland cell. People born with specific genetic conditions also have a higher risk of getting this disease.

If you're worried about a growth that has formed in your adrenal glands, you likely don't have to stress as most growths are benign (noncancerous).

Additionally, the cancer is extremely rare as doctors only diagnose approximately one case for every million people annually. The disease also affects more women than men.

Treatment Options

Anyone diagnosed with ACC will likely first have surgery to get the tumor removed. Removal of the adrenal gland and nearby tissue may also be needed via surgery.

To prevent cancerous cells from metastisizing (spreading) to other areas of your body, treatment plans may include radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.

Finding Support During a Cancer Battle

Support is essential during one’s battle with cancer, and health struggles bringing people together is something survivors have shared with us over the years.

Breast cancer survivor Melissa Berry previously told SurvivorNet, “In some ways [cancer] can bring people together, it can make you much stronger, or it can weaken a relationship.”

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“She's just always there for me whenever something goes wrong," Melissa’s daughter Erica told us about her mother. “And I think we're both there for each other.”

For any mother who has a daughter, you know that your bond is unbreakable. When Erica was 7 years old, she learned her mom had cancer; Melissa was 42 years old and had been diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer.

Breaking the news to your child that you have cancer can be hard for any parent, but for Erica and Melissa, it was a bonding experience. One morning, Melissa's head was itching from the chemotherapy treatments; she couldn't take it anymore, so she decided to shave her head.

Erica was thinking about becoming a hairdresser at the time, so when she witnessed her mother shaving her head in their bathroom, it was a dream come true. She happily helped her mother shave her head, who has since recovered from the cancer.

“It was the first big step that she really took in her whole journey,” Erica said. “It was cool to be a part of it with her.”

Supporting a Family Member Through Cancer

People like Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell can feel a wide range of emotions when confronted with a cancer diagnosis. Many may feel depressed, anxious, worried, overwhelmed, and even full of grief. Support your loved ones in the best possible way can be done by being a loving, listening ear and lending support.

Dr. Scott Irwin, director of supportive care service at Cedars-Sinai, previously spoke to SurvivorNet about the grief that may accompany a cancer diagnosis.

“Grief comes in waves,” he explained. “It often gets better over time, but at certain days, it can look like depression. And other days, people look perfectly normal and can function.”

"They're grieving the change in their life, the future they had imagined is now different," said Dr. Irwin, of how a person may feel after being diagnosed with cancer. “In cancer care, sometimes, we're actually forcing some body changes that are beyond what would be normal aging, and that can be even harder for people to deal with where they don't feel like themselves.”

Dealing With Grief After a Cancer Diagnosis

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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