Grandmother And Teenager, Who Met Because Of Accidental Text, Are Spending Thanksgiving Together

A grandmother and a teenager have carried on Thanksgiving celebrations for years – because of a text message that was sent to the wrong person.  

In 2016, Wanda Dench from Mesa, Arizona, texted a wrong number while inviting her grandson over for Thanksgiving dinner. The situation became clear when the 21-year-old Jamal Hinton asked her to send him a photo. He was confused that somebody claiming to be his grandmother texted him. Then, he texted her back that she is not his grandmother.  

Namely, in 2016, Jamal was sitting in class when he got the message. When he asked who the message was from, Wanda texted him that it is his grandmother.

Then, he asked her to send him a photo so that he can be sure. As soon as he realized that it is not his grandmother, he replied with a photo of himself and asked her to keep food for him, too.  

When screenshots of the messages went viral, people asked Wanda to keep them a plate of food, too. Then, Wanda and Jamal decided to meet in real life.  

Unfortunately, Lonnie Dench, Wanda`s husband died in March from COVID-19 complications. However, after she lost her husband, Jamal and his girlfriend Mikaela continued to visit and take care of her. They gathered for a Thanksgiving dinner on Friday and honored her husband by placing a photo of him and a candle at the head of the table.  

https://twitter.com/Jamalhinton12/status/1314361555983593472

Four years later, Jamal and Wanda are still celebrating this holiday together. This was their fourth Thanksgiving celebration together. The people’s circle in their home is expanding now – Jamal also brings his girlfriend to dinner.  

James said that this tradition became a part of his life. They have remained close friends even though their lives changed. Wanda is a great-grandmother now, whereas Jamal and his girlfriend Mikaela moved into their new apartment.