PHOENIX — Nine years after a mistaken text led to a Thanksgiving tradition, Wanda Dench will have to miss Thanksgiving with Jamal Hinton.
Dench sent a text to her family in 2016, or at least she thought she did. Instead, the text went to 17-year-old Jamal Hinton, a high school kid.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
Jamal replied, telling Wanda he wasn't her grandson...but could he still come to dinner? Wanda said of course he could, and the tradition was born.
"The time really flew," Wanda said from her new home in Prescott Valley.
Nine years later, they have spent every Thanksgiving with each other...until this year.
Wanda was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. She's between rounds of chemo and radiation. She's immunocompromised and doesn't think she can make the drive to Jamal's house. Jamal, now 26, was going to host.
"Oddly enough," Wanda said, "I have never met anybody in his family."
Their story went viral when Jamal tweeted about it in 2016. They've since gone viral worldwide. They signed a movie deal, appeared on a game show...but they've also been there for each other.
Wanda's husband died of complications from COVID-19 in 2020. Jamal graduated high school and now has a serious girlfriend. They went together to get Wanda's first tattoo.
“We feel like if we had never met, there would have been something missing in our life," Wanda said.
The tradition will continue, Wanda said. Her prognosis is good and she's expecting to be back with Jamal and his family in 2025.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.