‘Thanksgiving grandma’ who went viral for inviting stranger to dinner reveals breast cancer diagnosis

Wanda Dench says she still plans to celebrate Thanksgiving with Jamal Hinton, just like they have every year since she accidentally sent him an invite.

Wanda Dench, the grandmother who once accidentally invited a stranger to Thanksgiving instead of her grandson, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Jamal Hinton, the young man Dench accidentally invited to dinner in 2016, who has continued to celebrate the holiday with her every year since, shared the news of Dench’s diagnosis in a post on X on Wednesday, October 16.

The post included a statement from Dench herself, who revealed that she was diagnosed earlier this year and has been undergoing chemotherapy.

Dench, 67, said a mass in her breast was discovered when she underwent a CT scan of her lungs, which was later confirmed by a mammogram. “Cancer doesn’t run in my family and every mammogram I’ve had in the past has always been negative,” Dench wrote.

Fortunately, Dench said friends and family “came to my aid quickly and have supported me through everything.” He has also learned some important life lessons from the experience.

“Just because you might be older, we still have a lot of life to live,” wrote Dench, who shared the post during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. He later added, “Keep doing your revisions and keep living YOUR life!”

Despite her diagnosis, Dench said she and Hinton will still get together for Thanksgiving in November “like every year.”

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It’s been eight years since Dench accidentally texted Hinton over Thanksgiving dinner, sparking her viral tradition in the process.

Hinton was just 17 when he and Dench first connected. “It was so unexpected, but she was so sweet about it,” he told PEOPLE in 2016. “It was a reminder that there are still good people in this world.”

The following year, Hinton’s girlfriend joined the dinner party. “Family is more than blood,” Dench said in 2017. “It’s the people you want to be with.”

Related: ‘Thanksgiving Grandma’ Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton Reunite to Race for $250,000 on ‘The Cube’ (Exclusive)

In 2018, Hinton stated that his Thanksgiving dinner is “now a tradition.” They even met in 2020 just months after Dench’s husband Lonnie died of COVID-19.

Before dinner in 2023, they spoke with Dench and Hinton today to talk about their relationship. “She’s in my heart for life,” Dench said of Hinton, adding, “It’s amazing to have her as a friend and family.”

Last year, Dench and Hinton had dinner with an Airbnb guest who booked a stay at Dench’s home in Prescott, Arizona. “Grateful for the connections we made to host our first @airbnb guest 🧡,” Hinton wrote on X.

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Read the original article on People.