Viral Grandma and Jamal Hinton Spend Thanksgiving Aside for First Time in 9 Years Amid Breast Most cancers Prognosis

The previous strangers, who met eight years in the past in a mistaken textual content message trade, reunited to for Turkey Day — and issues appeared a little bit completely different this yr.

Dench joined Hinton and his household on Instagram Reside as a substitute, amid her continued battle with breast most cancers.

The Thanksgiving celebration comes only one month after Dench revealed in a message shared to Hinton’s Instagram and social media pages that she had been recognized with breast most cancers.

Whereas reflecting on their surprising friendship and the way it has positively formed their lives, Dench shared {that a} CT scan for bronchitis uncovered a mass in her breast, resulting in a analysis of breast most cancers after additional testing.

Dench additionally shared her shock over the analysis, noting that most cancers does not run in her household and her earlier mammograms had been at all times clear.

“In 2022 I turned 65 years previous and I assumed I’d have my final mammogram and never have to consider it once more. However I used to be unsuitable,” she wrote within the message shared to Hinton’s socials.

Whereas the analysis initially shocked her, Dench mentioned she’s been related with “great individuals” all through her therapy. She additionally urged others to make common checkups a precedence, and to cherish life.

“I’ve discovered lots of life’s classes by all of it, however what I need to stress most of all is simply because chances are you’ll be older, we nonetheless have a life to stay,” she wrote within the Oct. 16 submit. “So proceed getting your checkups, and proceed to stay YOUR life!”

Hinton teased the reunion in a submit Monday, sharing a collage of images of him and Dench over time, writing within the caption, “Excited to announce that I am internet hosting Thanksgiving this yr for Wanda and I! 🦃✨ Trying ahead to a day full of good meals, nice firm, and lasting recollections. Yr 9 coming quickly!🖤”

The pair’s unanticipated friendship started in 2016, after Hinton obtained a Thanksgiving textual content from Dench meant for her household. After confirming the error, Hinton lightheartedly requested if he might nonetheless be a part of Dench for dinner, to which Dench replied, “In fact you’ll be able to. That is what grandmas do … feed everybody.”

Hinton and Dench shortly grew to become associates and their story subsequently went viral, with the pair spending each Thanksgiving collectively since.

They’ve additionally weathered some hardships alongside the best way, together with the demise of Dench’s husband, Lonnie in 2020, who died after struggling problems from COVID-19.

In 2021, Netflix introduced it could make a movie, The Thanksgiving Textual content, about their distinctive bond.

Although the movie has but to drop, the streamer says the film will spotlight their deep friendship, regardless of their variations, and their unlikely connection, all due to the textual content mix-up.

“We hope it evokes extra individuals to succeed in out and make connections that they would not ordinarily make,” Hinton and Dench mentioned in an announcement shared by Netflix on the time. “We’re so blessed to discover a real friendship introduced collectively by God from a mistaken textual content message.”