An accidental text led to a grandmother and a complete stranger spending ten Thanksgiving dinners together.
Wanda Dench, 68, and Jamal Hinton, now 26, met in 2016 when she mistakenly invited him to Thanksgiving dinner via text.
He wasn’t her grandson, but he asked if he could still get a plate. Her reply? “Of course you can. That's what grandmas do - feed everyone.” That one message sparked a viral sensation and a tradition that’s now lasted ten years.
This year, they reunited in person at Hinton's family home for their milestone tenth dinner, after missing last year’s in-person gathering due to Wanda’s breast cancer treatment.
Jamal and Wanda have shared their 10th Thanksgiving. Credit: Instagram
From viral moment to lifelong friendship
Dench and Hinton’s story has captivated the public since day one. Their first Thanksgiving together drew media attention across the country, and over the years, they’ve remained close through holidays, loss, and life’s ups and downs.
Hinton was a 17-year-old high school senior when he got the original message. After confirming it wasn’t from his grandma, he jokingly asked if he could still come. Dench didn’t blink.
“I was just starstruck, basically,” he recalled, per Daily Mail. “I’m just an outgoing person. I like to meet new people, and she said yes.”
Ironically, Dench was considering skipping Thanksgiving that year. “I was tired of putting on the feast,” she said. “But little did I know that’s not what the universe had planned for me.”
Now known online as “Thanksgiving Grandma,” Dench quickly became a staple in Hinton's life. and vice versa.
“I didn’t intend it. I didn’t do it on purpose. It’s just a blessing,” Dench said, per CNN. “He’s literally changed my life.”
Hinton was just 17 when he spent his first Thanksgiving with Dench and her family. Credit: Instagram
Through grief, cancer, and connection
Their friendship deepened in 2020 when Dench's husband, Lonnie, died of Covid-19.
That year, Hinton and his girlfriend Mikaela joined her for a small, emotional Thanksgiving dinner. A framed photo of Lonnie sat on the table, and they lit a candle in his memory.
“He said he had a message for me from God,” Dench remembered of Lonnie before his passing. “He said, ‘God’s not done with you and Jamal yet.’”
In 2023, she couldn’t attend Thanksgiving in person due to chemotherapy. But the duo stayed connected through an Instagram Live session where Hinton passed his phone around for virtual greetings.
“I just recently finished up with chemotherapy, so I'm not 100 percent yet,” Dench explained at the time. “We decided this year would be best for my health if I stayed home.”
Now cancer-free, she enjoyed the special holiday with Hinton in person.
The Big 10
To mark their tenth dinner, Green Giant sponsored the celebration, providing classic holiday dishes like turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. Hinton's family added their own spin with brisket, mac and cheese, and prime rib.
The young man, who now works as a business owner and youth basketball coach, joked: “I think it’s a challenge of mine now to somehow not cook every year.”
Dench says she still can’t believe what one accidental text has led to: major media interviews, a sponsorship, and a Netflix film in the works.
But even without all the attention, their bond remains real. “If all the media went away, and all the hoopla went away, we would still meet together for Thanksgiving every year,” she said.
As Hinton put it simply: “It’s amazing to have her as a friend and as my family.”