A heartwarming story of an unexpected friendship began back in 2016 when Wanda Dench, then 65, mistakenly sent a text invitation for Thanksgiving dinner to the wrong number.
What began as a simple mix-up blossomed into a tale that has touched many lives over the years.
Believing she was inviting her grandson to the family gathering, Wanda’s message instead ended up on the phone of a then-17-year-old Jamal Hinton.

Instead of disregarding the error, Jamal responded with good humor, mentioning that she wasn’t his grandma but cheekily asking if he could still join for dinner.

Wanda’s heartwarming response, “Of course, you can. That’s what grandmas do… feed everyone,” marked the beginning of a unique and enduring friendship. This unexpected Thanksgiving tradition between Dench and Hinton has continued for an incredible nine years.
Recently, this cherished tradition faced an unexpected challenge. Wanda shared some difficult news; she was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier in the year after undergoing a CT scan intended to check her lungs due to bronchitis symptoms.
The scan revealed a mass in her breast, leading to her cancer diagnosis.
In a heartfelt social media update, Wanda stated: “That’s when a mass in my breast was detected, and they suggested I get a mammogram which confirmed I had breast cancer.”
Despite completing her chemotherapy treatments, Wanda admitted she’s not completely back to her usual self yet.
Given the circumstances, Wanda and Jamal decided it would be safest for Wanda’s health if she stayed at home this Thanksgiving, given that she lives about two hours away from Jamal.

Although they won’t be celebrating together in person this year, the pair plans to keep their tradition alive through a FaceTime call on Thanksgiving Day.
“I was so looking forward to meeting his family and having turkey with everybody,” Wanda expressed, “but we have to accept things the way they are. I’m sure next year will be so much better.”

The touching friendship between Wanda and Jamal has captured the fascination of many, even inspiring Netflix to announce a film about their story in 2021.
While the movie, “The Thanksgiving Text,” is yet to be released, both Wanda and Jamal hope it spreads a beautiful message: “We hope it inspires more people to reach out and make connections that they wouldn’t ordinarily make,” they shared, “We are so blessed to find a genuine friendship brought together by God from a mistaken text message.”
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on this touching story, it reminds us how a simple, random interaction can lead to unexpected gifts and lifelong companionships.
The events that have unfolded since 2016 illustrate the boundless kindness that strangers can offer and how the warmth of human connection never fails to brighten lives, even amid the toughest circumstances.