Anna 'Chickadee' Cardwell filmed her final months before dying for reality show: 'That's what she wanted'

Cardwell, who recently died after a 10-month battle with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma, hoped to raise awareness for the disease, her husband says.

Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell, who died last week after a 10-month battle with cancer, filmed episodes for the upcoming season of her family's WeTV reality show, Mama June: Family Crisis. She did so because she hoped to raise awareness by offering insight into her journey with the disease, her family members say.

“The filming was something that Anna wanted to do,” Cardwell’s husband, Eldridge Toney, told PEOPLE. “She wanted to bring awareness to her rare type of cancer because there is still so much unknown about it and it is very rare.”

At her Wednesday funeral, which PEOPLE attended, others from the reality star’s family echoed his sentiment, explaining that Cardwell’s final days were shot because "that's what she wanted." Crew members for the series were also in attendance as guests, with her loved ones explaining that they are considered “friends and family.” The service was not filmed for the show.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Anna Cardwell, a loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend," representatives for WeTV and production company Thinkfactory Media said in a statement to EW, confirming that the series will follow her cancer journey. "Our sincerest condolences to June, Pumpkin, Alana, Jessica, and their family during this difficult time. Anna will be truly missed, but never forgotten, as her light and spirit live on."

Cardwell first appeared alongside her mother, "Mama June" Shannon, and sister Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson on TLC's Toddlers and Tiaras, and then on the family's spinoff show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which launched in 2012. Shannon later got her own show, Mama June: From Not to Hot, which was rebranded as Mama June: Family Crisis. The series aired its sixth season earlier this year, which culminated in Cardwell revealing her diagnosis of stage 4 adrenal carcinoma in her liver, kidney, and lung. Four months later, her mother revealed that the diagnosis was terminal.

Cardwell, who died at 29, is survived by her husband and two daughters, Kylee and Kaitlyn.

Cardwell's mother, Mama June Shannon, confirmed her death last Sunday in a social media post, writing that she died peacefully while surrounded by family after “one hell of a fight for 10 months.”

Other family members have since voiced their grief, including 18-year-old Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, who shared an Instagram post the same day. “Anna was in so much pain last night but now as a family we all know she is at peace,” she wrote. “I really don’t know what to say as my heart is completely broken.”

She added, “We will all make sure your legacy lives on forever. And I promise to always make sure to celebrate our birthday like you never left! The sky looks a little bit different today. We will always love you, Anna.”

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