Arizona’s Thanksgiving Grandma Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis

PHOENIX (AZ family) – An Arizona grandmother who mistakenly invited a stranger to Thanksgiving nearly a decade ago and captured hearts across the country has revealed a grim diagnosis.

Wanda Dench, dubbed the “Thanksgiving Grandma,” revealed on social media that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Dench shared the message on Jamal Hinton’s X account on Wednesday.

Dench shared that earlier this year she had a CT scan to check her lungs while being treated for bronchitis. That’s when doctors found a mass and confirmed it was cancer.

Grandma is going through chemotherapy and has been meeting with doctors since her diagnosis.

“Everyone was very kind, supportive and knowledgeable. My family and friends quickly came to my aid and have supported me through everything,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot of life lessons through all of this, but what I want to stress most of all is just because you can be old, we still have one life to live. So keep doing your revisions and keep living YOUR life! “

Dench says the duo still plan to spend Thanksgiving together next month, “like every year.”

Dench and Hinton went viral in 2016 after she mistakenly invited Hinton to her family’s Thanksgiving, thinking he was her grandson. Hinton wasn’t his grandson, but a complete stranger he accidentally messaged.

However, Hinton asked if she could still stop by for a plate of food, to which Dench replied: “That’s what grandmothers do: feed everybody.”

The duo’s tradition has continued strong for eight years, even after Dench’s husband Lonnie passed away in 2020.

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