PHOENIX, Ariz. (WJW) — The Arizona grandmother who sent a text message to what she believed was her grandson’s phone number, inviting him over for Thanksgiving dinner nearly nine years ago, says she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Wanda Dench accidentally sent that text to then-17-year-old Jamal Hinton, and the two have spent the holiday together ever since.
On Thursday, Dench made the announcement about her health on Hinton’s Instagram page with an opening that reads, “Here is a special message from Wanda.”
“Hi, my name is Wanda, you might know how we met in 2016 when I accidentally sent [Jamal] 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,” she said in the post. “But what I want to let you know today is this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 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 which verified I had breast cancer.
“I have been currently going through chemotherapy,” she continued. “Cancer does not run in my family and all the mammograms I had in the past were always negative. In 2022 I turned 65 years old and I thought I would have my last mammogram and not have to think about it again. But I was wrong.”
Dench lost her husband to COVID-19 in 2020, but she and Hinton have kept their holiday tradition going and do not plan to stop anytime soon.
“I’ve learned a lot of life’s lessons through it all, but what I want to stress most of all is just because you may be older, we still have a life to live,” she said in the post. “After watching the Golden Bachelor last year that gave me hope that I could still find love in my senior years. So continue getting your checkups, and continue to live YOUR life!”
As the story goes, Hinton was at school when he received the infamous text message from Dench, and he responded trying to clear up the confusion.
To his surprise, he was invited to Dench’s house for a plate, and to her surprise, he came over. The unlikely pair have been friends for nearly nine years.
Dench ended her post with a Bible verse: “‘She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.’ Proverbs 31:25.”
