One holiday friendship has captured hearts across America: the unique bond between “Thanksgiving Grandma” Wanda Dench and her stranger-turned-friend Jamal Hinton.
But this year, it’s Dench, 67, who is now poised to win a very special kind of heart — that of yet another romantic companion.
“I don’t like being alone and I miss my husband,” Dench said Republic of Arizona in an interview published on Tuesday, November 26. “I wish he was still here, but that’s not reality.”
Despite her recent cancer diagnosis, Dench said she and Hinton will still get together for Thanksgiving in November “like every year.” But next year, he hopes to add a new romantic addition to the table, and it was The Golden Bachelor who inspired the idea.
In Hinton’s Oct. 16 post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Dench said, “After watching The Golden Bachelor last year that gave me hope that I can still find love in my older years. So keep checking back and keep living YOUR life!”
“[The show] he gave me hope that I could start dating and maybe find another love,” she said Republic of Arizona. “And it wouldn’t be the same, but it would still be original.”
Jamal Hinton (center) and his girlfriend stand next to Wanda Dench, who is holding a picture of her late husband Lonnie.
Jamal Hinton/ Instagram
The husband of the viral grandmother who invited a stranger to Thanksgiving has died after being diagnosed with the coronavirus
For those unfamiliar with their story, Dench and Hinton’s unique friendship was sparked by a random text message in November 2016. The two Arizona natives have been celebrating Thanksgiving together ever since.
Their story went viral and they have now become annual social media sensations. Since their first celebration, thousands of people have liked the Thanksgiving photos, which Dench and Hinton shared on their social media accounts.
This year marks the ninth Turkey Day that they will spend together. However, during their nine-year streak, Dench faced some emotional obstacles. In 2020, her husband Lonnie Dench died of complications from COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic.
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From left: Lonnie Dench, Wanda Dench, Jamal Hinton and a guest. The grandmother accidentally invited the teenager to Thanksgiving in 2016. Since then, they have spent the holidays together
Then, in October, she revealed her breast cancer diagnosis. By now, she’s finished chemotherapy and will begin radiation treatments about two weeks after Thanksgiving.
Fortunately, Hinton’s friendship with Dench has remained a constant bright spot over the years.
“I feel blessed to have him in my life,” she told the magazine, adding, “He changed my life for the better.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education