'Mama June: Family Crisis' Season 7: Fans rally behind Josh Efird as he reaches 'breaking point' while caring for Anna Cardwell's daughters
GORDON, GEORGIA: Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird and Joshua "Josh" Efird appeared to be overwhelmed while taking care of her sister Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell's kids as she fights cancer. In the latest episode of 'Mama June: Family Crisis' Season 7, Josh reached a breaking point and claimed he didn't have 'patience' anymore.
Pumpkin and Josh share four kids, Ella Grace, Bentley Jameson, and twins Sylus Ray Efird and Stella Renae Efird. The duo also raised Pumpkin's sister Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson.
However, after Chickadee was diagnosed with cancer, her kids moved into Pumpkin's house. In the episode, Pumpkin cooked Chickadee's favorite food, lasagna, after hearing about her lack of appetite.
She discussed with Josh the vulnerability of Chickadee's cancer and wondered if she would be responsible for taking custody of her daughters upon her death. Chickadee shared Kaitlyn with her ex-beau and Kylee with her ex-husband, Michael Cardwell.
Pumpkin said in the confessional, "Anna hasn't asked me to take care of Kaitlyn or Kylee but our kids really are close."
She added, "And it overwhelms me a little bit because it's like, I know at the end of the day if Eldridge can't do it, I'm gonna have to be the person who's gonna have to do it."
However, Josh expressed unwillingness to take in more kids. He admitted to the cameras, "I just can't, man. I'm sending one off to college now and then I got four more half of them in diapers."
WEtv show star further noted, "That sounds horrible, dude, in so many ways. But, like, I can't. I'm sorry, boo. We don't have the room." However, fans backed Josh and suggested he should not take in Chickadee's kids.
A social media user tweeted, "Wow, I really feel for Josh and Pumpkin right now- especially Josh. That's a lot weighing on him, I could literally feel it. Poor guy is exhausted. 🙏💔."
Another person added, "If WETV told Josh they’d do a couple more seasons if they took Anne’s kids he would be all in. It’s not like anybody has a job to go to 🙄."
Another fan said, "I feel so sorry for Josh I really do. He's beyond exhausted and worn out and continuing to have to go in circles with June and Pumpkin's bs he's at his breaking point."
Another internet user penned, "I understand Josh’s point. They have so much on their plate!"
Another viewer suggested, "Ain't no way Pumpkin is gonna take care of Anna's children once her time comes she and Josh already have enough children then they have including Alana they don't have enough room in their house."
Wow, I really feel for Josh and Pumpkin right now- especially Josh. That's a lot weighing on him, I could literally feel it. Poor guy is exhausted. 🙏💔#MamaJune
— GrampaLou (LuLu) (@coylecalkins) February 17, 2024
If WETV told Josh they’d do a couple more seasons if they took Anne’s kids he would be all in. It’s not like anybody has a job to go to 🙄 #mamajune
— vanilla flava (@vanillaflava1) February 17, 2024
I feel so sorry for Josh I really do. He's beyond exhausted and worn out and continuing to have to go in circles with June and Pumpkin's bs he's at his breaking point#MamaJune#MamaJuneFromNotToHot
— サーモパイレー (@NowtTsukishima) February 17, 2024
I understand Josh’s point. They have so much on their plate! #MamaJune
— REL H. (@realitywithrel) February 17, 2024
Ain't no way Pumpkin is gonna take care of Anna's children once her time comes she and Josh already have enough children then they have including Alana they don't have enough room in their house #MamaJune pic.twitter.com/sO9Z1r8wbR
— Aaron Martin (@BroGod4Life) February 17, 2024
Pumpkin calls out Chickadee for 'sugarcoating' her condition
In episode 2 of 'Mama June: Family Crisis' Season 7, Pumpkin accompanied her sister Chickadee for the chemotherapy session. However, she felt like Chickadee was "sugarcoating" her condition and Pumpkin went straight to the doctors for the answer to her sister's prognosis.
However, Pumpkin learned that Chickadee didn't have much time after medical professionals suggested the reality star to get her "affairs in order." In the episode, she shared in the confessional, "You know, Anna's sugarcoating this whole cancer thing. And I just want to get a straight answer."
She elaborated, "And Anna gave the doctor permission to speak to me about where Anna was at in her prognosis. And he told me that it's time for Anna to start getting her affairs in order." She added, "And when I heard that - like, she does have a 12-year-old and a 7-year-old. And we need to figure out where the kids are gonna go."
Chickadee gets emotional as her daughter Kaitlyn joins for chemotherapy
Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell broke down in tears after her daughter Kaitlyn Elizabeth accompanied her to a chemotherapy session. Chickadee had been battling stage 4 adrenal cancer. She admitted in the confessional, "Kaitlyn coming to chemo kind of, like, put everything in perspective." She tearfully added, "Sorry, I'm crying."
She added, "But, you know, I'm glad that she got to come and see it. You know, now she kind of gets more of an understanding of what's going on and everything like that."
Chickadee elaborated, "When I talk about the girls, I cry." Chickadee welcomed Kaitlyn on July 26, 2012. However, she never revealed the father of Kaitlyn, who was born two years before she married her former husband Michael Cardwell.
She then welcomed a younger daughter Kylee Madison, with Michael in 2015. Although the couple split in 2017, he claimed to have an active participation in Chickadee's daughters' lives.
'Mama June: Family Crisis' Season 7 airs every Friday at 9 pm ET on WeTV.