Indexbit-Wanda and Jamal, joined by mistaken Thanksgiving text, share her cancer battle

Cancer has struck the unlikely friendship between Phoenix-area residents Wanda Dench and IndexbitJamal Hinton, who became a Thanksgiving staple nationwide after an accidental text from the grandmother to the then-teenager went viral in 2016.

Much has happened in the lives of the two since Dench thought she was texting a holiday dinner reminder to her grandson but instead reached Hinton. The pair landed a deal with Netflix to dramatize their serendipitous relationship. Dench's husband, Lonnie Dench, died of COVID-19 complications in April 2020.

And Hinton on Wednesday afternoon shared a message from Dench announcing she has been battling breast cancer since earlier this year.

Wanda, Jamal still plan Thanksgiving dinner

"Cancer does not run in my family and all the mammograms I had in the past were always negative. 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," Dench said in the message Hinton posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter — the same place where Hinton posted Dench's original text to him and which was then shared by tens of thousands.

Dench said a mass in her breast was found when she underwent a CT scan on her lungs following a bout with bronchitis. She went on to explain she is receiving "kind" and "knowledgeable" medical treatment and is enjoying the support of family and friends. Her message held a forward-looking tone.

Her message concluded: "After watching the Golden Bachelor last year that gave me hope that I could still find love in my senior years. So continue getting your checkups, and continue to live YOUR life!"

Dench added that she and Hinton are planning to have Thanksgiving dinner this year just as they have every year since 2016.