Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton, who met eight years ago in a mistaken text message exchange, are reuniting for their ninth Thanksgiving celebration.
Hinton shared an Instagram post Monday, ahead of Thanksgiving, with a collage of photos of him and Dench over the years, writing in the caption, "Excited to announce that I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year for Wanda and I! 🦃✨ Looking forward to a day filled with good food, great company, and lasting memories. Year 9 coming soon!🖤"
The happy announcement had arrived at a difficult time for Dench after she revealed in a message shared to Hinton's Instagram and social media pages that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Dench reflected on the unexpected friendship and how it has positively shaped both of their lives as she shared her medical diagnosis.
"In 2022 I turned 65 years old and I thought I would have my last mammogram and not have to think about it again. But I was wrong," she wrote at the time.
While the diagnosis initially shocked her, Dench said it also connected her with "wonderful people" throughout her treatment. She also urged others to cherish life and prioritize regular checkups.
"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 live," she wrote. "So continue getting your checkups, and continue to live YOUR life!"
Dench and Hinton quickly became friends in 2016, after Hinton received a Thanksgiving text from Dench meant for her family.
After confirming the mistake, Hinton lightheartedly asked if he could still join Dench for dinner, to which Dench replied, "Of course you can. That's what grandmas do ... feed everyone."
Their story subsequently went viral and the pair have spent every Thanksgiving together since then.
Their friendship has endured life's ups and downs such as when Dench shared that her husband Lonnie had died from COVID-19 in 2020.
"We hope it inspires more people to reach out and make connections that they wouldn't ordinarily make," Hinton and Dench said in a statement shared by Netflix at the time. "We are so blessed to find a genuine friendship brought together by God from a mistaken text message."
Netflix announced back in 2021 that it would make a film, " The Thanksgiving Text," about their unique story. According to the leading streaming service company, the movie would focus on their unlikely connection and their deep bond that has lasted almost a decade.
Source: GMA