Lauryn ' Pumpkn' Efird says her family is rallying around sister Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell.Photo:annamarie35/Instagram; pumpkin/Instagram
annamarie35/Instagram; pumpkin/Instagram
They’ve had their ups and downs, but the family ofAnna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwellis rallying around the eldest sibling as she battlesstage 4 adrenal carcinoma, following her diagnosis this past January.“We literally show up. My mom and Justin in particular, they go to every single day of treatment,”Lauryn ‘Pumpkin’ Efirdtold PEOPLE about their mother,Mama June Shannon, 43, and her husband,Justin Stroud, 35.The family shot to fame after sisterAlana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson’s appearance on TLC’sToddlers & Tiaras,who later earned a show of her own,Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,chronicling the lives of Shannon and her four daughters, including Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon.The family shot to fame with the TLC hit Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which ran for two seasons on TLC.Discovery CommunicationsNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Anna, 28, and her mother were estranged for years,sharing public barbs— but reunited at June’s second wedding toJustin last February.But now theMama June: Family Crisisstar and her husband are a key source of support for Anna, Lauryn tells PEOPLE, after the cancerwas discovered in Anna’s liver, kidney and lung following a series of tests when Anna started complaining about stomach aches.“One week a month they stay in an Airbnb with her, so she’s close to the hospital in case she has a reaction once she gets home and things like that,” says Lauryn, who has five children — including Alana, now 17, whoshe obtained full custodyof last June.And in May, June said she and Justin would bemoving from Alabama to Georgiato help Cardwell through the chemotherapy process.Lauryn tells PEOPLE that she and Alana make frequent trips to visit as well.“For me and Alana, we come up usually one to two times a week, sit with her through treatment, talk to her and go back to the Airbnb and maybe do dinner and things with her,” says Lauryn, 23.“And then when she’s home for the rest of the month, we all just try to check in and make sure she doesn’t need anything or isn’t feeling terrible.“Anna, who’s mother to Kaitlyn, 11, and Kylee, 7, has also been sharing intermittent — and honest —updateson social media of her progress.“It was pretty good day,” Anna wrote on one Instagram post with longtime boyfriend Eldridge Toney. “Cracker Barrel was good going down but not up 😂 but over all it’s going good and chemo is working we come to find so things are looking good.”“For me, it’s an emotional rollercoaster sometimes. Mentally it’s always on my mind,” June toldEntertainment Tonight, before adding Anna’s prognosis, “We know it’s terminal.““She’s stage 4. She’s not gonna go into remission,” she said. “We’ve all accepted that, so I just tell people one day at a time ‘cause you never know.”
They’ve had their ups and downs, but the family ofAnna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwellis rallying around the eldest sibling as she battlesstage 4 adrenal carcinoma, following her diagnosis this past January.
“We literally show up. My mom and Justin in particular, they go to every single day of treatment,”Lauryn ‘Pumpkin’ Efirdtold PEOPLE about their mother,Mama June Shannon, 43, and her husband,Justin Stroud, 35.
The family shot to fame after sisterAlana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson’s appearance on TLC’sToddlers & Tiaras,who later earned a show of her own,Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,chronicling the lives of Shannon and her four daughters, including Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon.
The family shot to fame with the TLC hit Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which ran for two seasons on TLC.Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Anna, 28, and her mother were estranged for years,sharing public barbs— but reunited at June’s second wedding toJustin last February.
But now theMama June: Family Crisisstar and her husband are a key source of support for Anna, Lauryn tells PEOPLE, after the cancerwas discovered in Anna’s liver, kidney and lung following a series of tests when Anna started complaining about stomach aches.
“One week a month they stay in an Airbnb with her, so she’s close to the hospital in case she has a reaction once she gets home and things like that,” says Lauryn, who has five children — including Alana, now 17, whoshe obtained full custodyof last June.
And in May, June said she and Justin would bemoving from Alabama to Georgiato help Cardwell through the chemotherapy process.
Lauryn tells PEOPLE that she and Alana make frequent trips to visit as well.
“For me and Alana, we come up usually one to two times a week, sit with her through treatment, talk to her and go back to the Airbnb and maybe do dinner and things with her,” says Lauryn, 23.
“And then when she’s home for the rest of the month, we all just try to check in and make sure she doesn’t need anything or isn’t feeling terrible.”
Anna, who’s mother to Kaitlyn, 11, and Kylee, 7, has also been sharing intermittent — and honest —updateson social media of her progress.
“It was pretty good day,” Anna wrote on one Instagram post with longtime boyfriend Eldridge Toney. “Cracker Barrel was good going down but not up 😂 but over all it’s going good and chemo is working we come to find so things are looking good.”
“For me, it’s an emotional rollercoaster sometimes. Mentally it’s always on my mind,” June toldEntertainment Tonight, before adding Anna’s prognosis, “We know it’s terminal.”
“She’s stage 4. She’s not gonna go into remission,” she said. “We’ve all accepted that, so I just tell people one day at a time ‘cause you never know.”
source: people.com
