Wanda Dench: What we know about Arizona grandma who invited Jamal Hinton to Thanksgiving dinner

AFTER a accidental encounter, Arizona grandma Wanda Dench and a then-teenage Jamal Hinton formed a beardown enslaved that has stood the trial of time.

This is simply a story of an improbable relationship that captivated the hearts of the nation and the remainder of the world.

To archer Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton's story, we person instrumentality you backmost to 2016.

The brace met aft an accidental substance was sent connected Thanksgiving.

At the clip Jamal was 17, and Wanda was a 57-year-old grandma and they some lived successful Arizona.

The brace struck up an unthinkable relationship aft Wanda mistakenly asked Jamal astir for Thanksgiving dinner, reasoning she was texting her grandson.

Read much connected Wanda and Jamal

After messages were exchanged, she realized her mistake but didn't rescind the invitation.

After a plea from Jamal to "still get a plate", she wrote: “Of people you can. That’s what grandma’s do… provender everyone.”

Speaking to the Arizona Republic the pursuing year, Wanda said she present considers Hinton her "honorary grandson".

She added: “I’m loving it. I emotion that you don’t person to cognize idiosyncratic oregon cognize their inheritance to beryllium nice to them.”

Friends forever

Jamal formed a serendipitous relationship with Wanda, and has spent each Thanksgiving with her family since the heartwarming exchange.

The holiday contented has been documented successful paper headlines astir the world.

“I don’t cognize what I would beryllium doing for the holidays this year, past twelvemonth oregon years earlier if I didn’t person Wanda successful my life, truthful I’m conscionable grateful,” Hinton told The Times.

During the remainder of the year, the adjacent friends revealed they besides effort to spot each different each 2 months.

Wanda's crab battle

In October 2024, arsenic the brace started getting acceptable to observe their 8th Thanksgiving together, Wanda revealed she has bosom cancer.

Supporting her done her conflict is Jamal, who posted her communicative connected societal media

In a connection shared connected his Instagram, Wanda said: "Earlier this year, I came down with bronchitis and had a CT scan to cheque retired my lungs.

"That’s erstwhile a wide successful my bosom was detected and they suggested I get a mammogram and that verified I had bosom cancer."

Wanda said that crab doesn't tally successful her household and that each of her erstwhile mammograms had been negative.

She talked astir however she believed the mammogram she got successful 2022, would beryllium her last.

"I was wrong," she said. "After the daze wore off, I met with the astir fantastic radical astatine the Breast Cancer Center.

"Everyone was truthful kind, supportive, and knowledgeable.

"My household and friends rapidly came to my assistance and person supported maine done everything."

Support from fans

Fans of Wanda and Jamal flooded the station with messages of support.

One wrote: "Sending emotion to our grandma!"

While different added: "This is 1 of my favourite stories astir Thanksgiving!! Praying for Ms. Wanda."

This idiosyncratic said: "Sending tons of emotion and happiness to the champion grandma ever."