Arizona ‘Thanksgiving Grandma’ reveals breast cancer diagnosis

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — An Arizona grandmother who mistakenly invited a stranger to Thanksgiving almost a decade ago and captured hearts across the nation has revealed a somber diagnosis.

Wanda Dench, dubbed the "Thanksgiving Grandma," revealed on social media that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Dench shared the message on Jamal Hinton's X account , formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday.

The grandmother has been going through chemotherapy and has met with doctors since her diagnosis.

"Everyone was so kind, supportive and knowledgeable. My family and friends quickly came to my aid and have supported me through everything," she said. "I've learned a lot of life's lessons through it all, but what I want to stress most of all is just because you may be older, we still have a life to life. So continue getting your checkups, and continue to live YOUR life!"

Dench says her chemotherapy treatments are going well.

She has done two months so far and has one more to go. After that, she will begin radiation.

She is being treated at the Breast Cancer Center in Prescott Valley . She says she has a wonderful support system, which, of course, includes Hinton.

"I have such wonderful friends. They check on me, they ask me if I need any food or run any errands for me," said Dench. "I've had so much more support than I ever could have imagined that I would and that helps a lot."

She says Hinton checks up on her by calling, which puts a smile on her face.

"Jamal calls me and checks on me and he cheers me up," said Dench.

They have Thanksgiving plans again this year but aren't sure if she is going to Chandler or if he is coming to Prescott Valley.

"When he calls I smile because Jamal, you know we met back in 2016 and have been together every Thanksgiving," said Dench.

She says it will depend on her treatment schedule but is looking forward to it.

She found her cancer by accident. She had a cough and needed a CT scan to check for pneumonia.

"I didn't have pneumonia, but I had a mass in my breast," said Dench.

She got a mammogram and then a biopsy, which confirmed stage one breast cancer.

She thought at 65, she would be done with mammograms as she did not have a family history of breast cancer.

"Things kind of went fast after that. I went in for surgery to have the tumor removed as well as a lymph node and they felt like they got it all, but there's never a guarantee so they opted to do the chemotherapy and the radiation," said Dench.

At 67 now, she is encouraging women to stay up to date on their cancer screenings, which is why she is sharing her story this month as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month .

The CDC recommends women aged 50-74 get mammograms every other year.

Dench and Hinton went viral in 2016 after she mistakenly invited Hinton to her family's Thanksgiving, believing that he was her grandson. Hinton was not her grandson, but a complete stranger she accidentally texted.

However, Hinton asked if he could still stop by for a plate of food, to which Dench replied, "That's what grandmas do: feed everyone."

The duo's tradition has continued strong for eight years , even after Dench's husband, Lonnie, passed away in 2020.