Thanksgiving plans changed this year in the wake of a black man and a white grandmother who went viral 9 years ago for an unlikely holiday bond

The errant text message that became an uplifting tradition returns for its ninth year, reuniting a black man with the white grandmother who by accident invited him to Thanksgiving in 2016, resulting in an annual holiday gathering that has since become unexpected friends into a national treasure.

Wanda Dench, 67, and Jamal Hinton, 26, plan to kick off one other holiday season together on Thursday after spending Thanksgiving at Dench’s home in Prescott, Ariz., for the past eight years, starting with meeting strangers in an accidental text exchange. .

Since then, their unlikely friendship has turn into the annual Thanksgiving tradition the country never knew it needed – a rare, feel-good story of connection and community that transcends racial and political divides while highlighting the true spirit of the holiday, ultimately proving that only one bad number can create a bond that may last a lifetime.

However, Thanksgiving dinner might be different this year resulting from a recent discovery in Dench’s life.

Ahead of this year’s holidays, Hinton shared an uplifting Instagram post with a collage of photos documenting his ongoing friendship with Dench. In the signature he wrote“I’m excited to announce that I’m hosting a Thanksgiving for Wanda and me this year! I look forward to a day filled with good food, great company and lasting memories. Grade 9 coming soon!”

The announcement of their ninth Thanksgiving together comes just a month after Dench shared that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite the difficult news, the couple stays committed to their annual reunions, showing the enduring strength of their friendship in each good and bad times.

Four years ago, Wanda Dench shared the heartbreaking news that her husband Lonnie had died of Covid-19.

She recently opened up about her cancer diagnosis after a CT scan for bronchitis revealed a lump in her breast. The discovery got here as a shock, as Dench had explained that cancer doesn’t run in her family and that her previous mammograms had all the time been negative.

“I turned 65 in 2022 and I thought I would have my last mammogram and I wouldn’t have to think about it anymore. But I was wrong.” she wrote.

Throughout her treatment, Dench remained hopeful, specializing in the support she received from “wonderful people.” She shared her experience to remind others to value life and actively take care of their health, especially by visiting their doctor usually.

“I have learned many life lessons from all this, but above all I want to emphasize that we still have life ahead of us,” she wrote. “So keep getting your checkups and live YOUR life!”

When she by accident texted Hinton a Thanksgiving invitation in 2016 – she had intended to text her grandson, but his old phone number now belonged to Hinton – the 17-year-old exchanged texts and photos together with her and then jokingly he asked, “Can I still have the plate?” to which Dench replied: “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do… they feed everyone.”

True to his word, Hinton showed up and the pair’s story quickly went viral on social media, with many individuals inspired by their unlikely friendship.

In 2021, Netflix announced that it plans to adapt this heartwarming story into a film titled “Thanksgiving Text.”

“We hope this will inspire more people to reach out and make connections they wouldn’t normally make,” Hinton and Dench said in a statement shared by Netflix at the time. (*9*)