Inside Anna 'Chickadee' Cardwell's Relationship With Eldridge Toney

According to Mama June Shannon, in her final moments, her daughter Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell was surrounded by family, including her longtime boyfriend, Eldridge Toney. Cardwell tragically succumbed to adrenal cancer on December 9, 2023. She was just 29 years old.

"She [Anna] gave one hell of a fight for 10 months she passed away with her family around her like she won't [sic] and we will be updating y'all with more information as we get it today," Shannon shared in a statement posted on Instagram. "We love y'all and continued prayers and thoughts for our family doing this difficult time #mamajune #prayers #cancersucks #family."

Throughout Cardwell's experience with cancer, her family rallied behind her, providing persistent support since her diagnosis in January 2023. Toney, in particular, had been a pillar of strength, with the former reality star sharing on social media that he had been by her side during her cancer treatments. And while they didn't get the chance to marry, they had a loving relationship until her last days.

Anna Cardwell and Eldridge Toney's relationship began in 2017, following her divorce from her ex-husband Michael, with whom she shares two children, Kaitlyn and Kylee. While Toney was keen on helping Cardwell raise her daughters, the two had hoped to welcome a child together. However, Cardwell revealed that conceiving a baby proved to be challenging.

"We are trying to have a third child, and it's been difficult. I've gone through four miscarriages and a D&C. It's been a long bumpy road for us trying to have baby number three," she told The U.S. Sun in 2021, adding that one of her miscarriages happened right before Christmas. "It felt like I was giving birth, it was the worst pain of my life," she detailed. "It's a really painful process, so I'm like you know let's give it one more try." Cardwell learned that her body was not generating enough progesterone, adversely impacting the baby's nutrition. "We know what's going on now, and we are taking the right precautions to take care of it and make sure it stays alive and everything like that," she added.

In 2020, Cardwell, Toney, and the two daughters moved into a new home, anticipating a future that included a growing family. "Eldridge and I are hoping to get married within the next year and we want a child together," Cardwell told the outlet at the time. "Eldridge is great with the girls and we wanted to have a bigger home to raise our family in."

Anna Cardwell and Eldridge Toney never got around to saying "I Do," but according to Mama June Shannon, her late daughter considered Toney her husband before her passing. In a statement to Today, a representative for the "Mama June: From Not to Hot" star stated that Cardwell's loved ones, including her presumed husband Toney, were by her side until her last breath. The statement read: "Anna passed at 11:12pm last night at her mother, June Shannon's home in Milledgeville GA with her girls, all her sisters, her husband, and close family at her side."

Cardwell had admitted to The U.S. Sun that she had reservations about walking down the aisle a second time after her first one failed, but she was willing to try again with Toney. "We talk about it. We have promise rings now, we went to Florida and had promise rings made," she shared. She also noted that Toney had held her hand while she sorted out her issues, which made her believe that he was the one for her. "He deals with a lot of my stuff, he helps me because I've got really bad anxiety and a little bit of depression here and there."

Her family has supported their relationship, too. "Our relationship has been good, and the family really loves him," she continued. "Mama would ask him 'How have you dealt with her for four years?' And he'll say 'It's not always easy but I'm dealing with it.'"