Who is Wanda Dench? Internet sends support as Thanksgiving Grandma reveals cancer diagnosis

Arizona grandmother Wanda Dench, who went viral for accidentally inviting a stranger to her Thanksgiving dinner in 2016, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Jamal Hinton, the recipient of her invite, shared Dench's message via X.

On Wednesday, October 16, 2924, Jamal Hinton took to X to reveal that Wanda Dench had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The internet grandmother wanted to share her diagnosis in light of the ongoing Breast Cancer Awareness month. Her message read:

"Hi, my name is Wanda. You might know how we met in 2016 when I accidentally sent him a text inviting him to Thanksgiving when I thought I sent it to my grandson. It went viral and it changed our life for the better and we still plan on getting together for Thanksgiving next month as we have every year."

Speaking about her diagnosis, Dench said:

"Earlier this year I came down with bronchitis and had a CT scan to check out my lungs. That's when a mass in my breast was detected and they suggested I get a mammogram and that verified I had breast cancer. I have been currently going through chemotherapy."

Wanda Dench went viral on the internet in 2016 after she accidentally invited stranger Jamal Hinton to her Thanksgiving dinner via a wrongly sent text. The text was originally meant for her grandson, Randall Burgoyne.

However, the wrong text led to a friendship between Dench and Hinton, and they continued to meet every year at Thanksgiving since then. Hinton recorded his subsequent text message interaction with Dench and shared it online, making the Arizona grandmother viral. Dench is often referred to as the Thanksgiving grandmother on social media.

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Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton have been meeting for Thanksgiving every year since 2016

In 2016, 17-year-old Jamal Hinton replied to Wanda Dench's accidental text inviting the former to Thanksgiving dinner. Hinton explained that he was not her grandson after sharing photos of each other to confirm there had been a mistake. However, he then texted:

"Can I still get a plate tho?"

Dench responded:

"Of course you can. That's what grandma's do...feed everyone."

Hinton posted their interaction on social media, which went viral with over 137K likes on X. Since then, Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton have met at Thanksgiving every year. The duo also takes selfies to share on social media every time.

Hinton even accompanied Dench when she got her first tattoo, becoming closer over the years. The duo announced in 2022 that a Netflix film about their unusual story was in development. In 2020, Wanda Dench lost her husband, Lonnie Dench, to Covid-19 complications. Jamal Hinton was with the Thanksgiving grandmother during the tough time and announced the tragic news via X.

"As some of you may have already found out tonight, Lonnie did not make it ... he passed away Sunday morning, but Wanda told me all the love and support he was receiving put a huge smile on his face so I thank every single one of you guys for that!"

In 2023, Hinton met Wanda Dench for the eighth consecutive year for Thanksgiving. The duo invited over another stranger, Arseni, this time. Hinton took to Instagram to share their traditional selfie along with the new stranger, writing:

"Our year 8 selfie. Thanks for staying with us, Arseni, and for being part of the good in the world this holiday season."

In her message announcing her breast cancer diagnosis, Wanda Dench mentioned that she has been undergoing chemotherapy. The Arizona grandmother revealed that she was initially in shock but has recovered now after meeting multiple kind and helpful people at the Breast Cancer Center.

Wanda Dench ended her message on a positive note, urging her friends and followers to live their lives and get their checkups on time. She also added a Bible proverb in the end.