“Mama June” Shannon posted a sweet Instagram slideshow of her granddaughter Kaitlyn, 11, preparing for her “first adult dance.”
Kaitlyn’s mother was June’s daughter Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell, who died in December at the age of 29 after a grueling battle with cancer.
Following Chickadee’s death, June reportedly gained custody of Kaitlyn, meaning the little girl now lives with her grandmother and step-grandfather Justin Stroud.
In a heartbreaking Instagram caption on Friday, June 44, she shared that she wished Chickadee were still alive to help Kaitlyn get ready for the dance.
June shared that Kaitlyn “carries a piece of her mother around her neck at the dance” — which seems to indicate that Kaitlyn’s necklace was inherited from Chickadee.
Mama June’ Shannon posted a sweet Instagram slideshow of her and her husband Justin Stroud helping her granddaughter Kaitlyn, 11, prepare for her “first adult dance”
Kaitlyn’s mother was June’s daughter Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell, who died at age 29 after a grueling battle with cancer; Chickadee is pictured with her daughters Kaitlyn and Kylee
During her final decline in hospice, Chickadee entrusted her husband Toney Eldridge with the task of making sure her daughters would remember her.
“These are the times and times I wish @annamarie35 was still there to help her get her dress and get her ready and all,” June wrote in the caption.
However, she added that she and Justin figured out how to do her hair the way she wanted and that she was excited to go to her first adult dance, but she carries a piece of her mother around her neck during the dance . I hope she has a wonderful time being her mother made real.’
June finished the caption with the hashtags, “#middleschool #mamajunr #dance #emotional #teenager,” even though Kaitlyn is 11 and therefore not a teen.
The Instagram slideshow was set to Keri Hilson’s song Pretty Girl Rock, which was part of the singer’s 2010 album No Boys Allowed.
Shortly after Chickadee died, insiders said TMZ that the last three months of her life were filmed with the patient’s consent for Mama June: Family Crisis.
Wanting to help viewers understand the experiences of cancer patients, Chickadee kept the camera crew with her until her final hours.
However, the crew refused to film her death and did not film her funeral, in the interest of the family to grieve privately.
In a heartbreaking Instagram caption on Friday, June 44, she shared that she wished Chickadee were still alive to help Kaitlyn get ready for the dance
June said that Kaitlyn “carries a piece of her mother around her neck at the dance” – which seems to indicate that Kaitlyn’s necklace was inherited from Chickadee
“These are the times and times I wish @annamarie35 was still there to help her take off her dress and get her ready and stuff,” June wrote in the caption
However, she added that Justin “and she discovered how to do her hair the way she wanted and she was excited to go to her first adult dance.”
At the At the time of her death, Chickadee was married to a Toney Eldridge, who was not the father of any of Chickadee’s daughters.
Chickadee welcomed her daughter Kylee, eight, with her first husband Michael Cardwell and had Kaitlyn during a previous relationship.
When Chickadee died, Kaitlyn went to live with June, while Kylee went to her father Michael’s house, according to a report in TMZ.
Toney and Chicakdee first started dating in 2017 before secretly marrying in March 2023 amid her battle with the cancer that ultimately claimed her life.
In a devastating interview with PeopleToney reflected on Chickadee’s last day in hospice until she died with her hand in his.
Her family gathered around the deathbed to say goodbye, and ‘[e]“Everyone was crying and panicking because we all knew what was happening,” he said.
‘I tried my best to be calm for her. I rubbed my hands through her hair, held her hand and told her it was going to be okay,” Toney recalled. “I held her hand as she took her last breath.”
During her final decline in hospice, Chickadee entrusted Toney with the task of making sure her daughters would remember her.
