An Arizona grandmother who went viral in 2016 after accidentally inviting a young man to her Thanksgiving dinner revealed that she has breast cancer.
Wanda Dench became unlikely friends with Jamal Hinton after she texted him in 2016, thinking he was her grandson, and invited him to Thanksgiving dinner.
In a social media post, which she made through Hinton, Dench said she was diagnosed with breast cancer after suffering from bronchitis.
Hinton shared what he described as a “special message” from her that read: “I had a CT scan to look at my lungs.” That’s when they detected a mass in my breast.
‘I am (and) have been currently receiving chemotherapy. My family and friends quickly came to my aid and supported me in everything.’
In a social media post, which she made through Hinton, Dench said she was diagnosed with breast cancer after suffering from bronchitis.
She and Hinton went viral for their text message exchange when she accidentally invited the 17-year-old to dinner on Thanksgiving.
Dench also added that cancer does not run in her family and that all of her previous mammograms have come back negative.
He said in his post that when he turned 65 in 2022 he assumed he would no longer have to receive them, adding: “But I was wrong.”
Dench added that he has learned “a lot of life lessons through all of this” and stresses that “just because you may be older, you still have a life to live.”
She and Hinton went viral for their text message exchange when she accidentally invited the 17-year-old to Thanksgiving dinner.
Hinton clarified that she was not his grandmother, but asked, “Can I still get a plate?” “Of course you can, that’s what grandmas do, feed everyone,” she replied.
When Hinton showed up for dinner that year, she immediately hugged him and it became a tradition to spend every Thanksgiving together.
Speaking to Today in 2021, Hinton shared that she was surprised when Dench said she could join her family’s celebrations, but decided to go ahead.
In 2016, Hinton was just 17 years old when Dench accidentally texted him thinking he was her grandson.
Hinton explained that he had texted the wrong person, but then asked if he could “still get a plate.” They spent Thanksgiving together for the first time that year.
“Yes, there was a lot of doubt because it was all just a joke,” he recalled. “I was in math class. I was doing a test. And I said, ‘Hey, why not?’
‘I’m just an extroverted person. I like meeting new people and then she said, ‘Yes,’ and I was basically blown away.
Ironically, Dench is not a fan of Thanksgiving and admitted on the morning show that she actually wanted to cancel her holiday plans that year.
“I was tired of hosting the party every year, so I asked my husband if we could skip Thanksgiving that year and go on a mini vacation or something,” she said. “But I didn’t know that wasn’t what the universe had planned for me.”
Dench and Hinton plan regular visits throughout the year, and during the pandemic, he and his girlfriend, Mikaela, left their food outside their door.
It was a difficult time for the widow, who lost her beloved husband, Lonnie, to COVID-19 on April 5, 2020, just days after he contracted the virus.
Dench is not a fan of Thanksgiving and admitted on the morning show that she actually wanted to cancel her holiday plans that year.
They became unlikely friends after she texted him and invited him to Thanksgiving in 2016. The then-teen ended up attending her celebration and has continued to do so every year since.
For her first Thanksgiving without her husband, she hosted an early dinner attended by Hinton and Mikaela, as well as her daughter and grandson.
In December 2021, just a week after spending their sixth vacation together, it was announced that Netflix was developing a film inspired by their story.
Last year they announced they would be opening their annual tradition with a new group of strangers in collaboration with Airbnb.
Hinton and Dench also announced that they had become business partners with the launch of their mineral water company, BlackMP.
They also teamed up to compete for $250,000 as contestants on the TBS game show The Cube.
