A grandmother who gained notoriety in 2016 for inadvertently inviting a boy to Thanksgiving dinner has revealed her breast cancer diagnosis.
Wanda Dench accepted Jamal Hinton to her Thanksgiving meal in 2016, although he was not the designated guest.
Wanda had first sent the letter to whoever she assumed was her grandson.
When Jamal revealed the truth to her, she texted, “That’s what grandmas do…feed everyone.”
Jamal documented their wholesome discussion on social media, which eventually led to it becoming an annual festival ritual for the two.
The now-25-year-old took to Twitter and shared two photos of Wanda, one of which included him, as well as screenshots of a statement she typed in the iPhone’s ‘Notes’ app.
He captioned the photo, “Here is a special message from Wanda.”
“Hi, my name is Wanda, and you might remember what we meant in 2016 when I accidentally sent him a text inviting him to Thanksgiving when I thought I was sending it to my grandson,” she wrote in her “Notes.”
“It went viral, changed our lives for the better, and we still plan on getting together for Thanksgiving next month, as we do every year.” But what I want you to know today is that this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
She said, “Earlier this year, I got bronchitis and had a CT scan to check out my lungs. That’s when doctors discovered a tumor in my breast and recommended I undergo a mammogram, which confirmed I had breast cancer.
“I’ve been going through chemotherapy. I have no family history of cancer, and my mammograms were clear.
“I reached 65 in 2022, and I expected to get my final mammogram and not have to think about it again.”
She went on to describe her treatment at the Breast Cancer Center in Arizona, as well as how her diagnosis has changed her perspective on the world.
Here is a special message from Wanda🌺 pic.twitter.com/KDTWktDPfN
— Jamal Hinton (@Jamalhinton12) October 16, 2024
Her statement went on to say, “I’ve learned a lot of life lessons through it all, but what I want to emphasize the most is that even if you’re older, we still have a life to live.
“After seeing The Golden Bachelor last year, I was hopeful that I may still find love in my final year. So continue getting your checks and living your life!
“‘She dresses in power and dignity, and she laughs without concern for the future.'” Proverbs 31:25.”
Jamal and Wanda will be celebrating their seventh Thanksgiving together.
The two have spent time together outside of the vacation, such as when Wanda got her first tattoo.
They also videotaped the event and posted it to Instagram. She explained that her tattoo of three shooting stars was in remembrance of her husband, mother, and father, whom she referred to as my guardian angels’.