Wanda Dench has been a familiar face for years, thanks to one Thanksgiving viral moment that turned into a sweet tradition.
Dench, who became a viral sensation after accidentally inviting a stranger, Jamal Hinton, to Thanksgiving in 2016, has shared a significant life update. She revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. In a heartfelt statement posted on social media by the beloved internet star, Dench explained that she has been undergoing chemotherapy after a mass was found during a routine CT scan for bronchitis. The diagnosis came as a shock to her, especially since she has no history of cancer and her previous mammograms had been all clear.
“I thought my last mammogram two years ago would be my final one, but I was wrong,” she said. Dench went on to share her gratitude for the support she has received from family, friends, and the staff at the Breast Cancer Center, noting, “Everyone was so kind, supportive, and knowledgeable.”
Dench, who lost her husband, Lonnie, to complications from COVID-19 back in 2020, explained that she wanted to share her new diagnosis as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While she’s facing this tough battle, she remains positive, and she and Jamal plan to celebrate Thanksgiving together again this year.
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“I was talking to Jamal the other day. We were talking about Thanksgiving, how we always get together for Thanksgiving, and I told him how wonderful people were around me that were helping me through this process and I wanted to give back, do something. And I’ve always been told to speak from my heart. So I thought about it, and what I realized, I wanted people to know, no matter how old you are, get your checkups,” she encouraged.
Dench assured her fans, “We are definitely going to get together. We haven’t finalized the plans yet. I will see whether I can travel down to the Phoenix area so that they can do the cooking in their kitchen. If I’m not up to it, then they will come up here and they can do the cooking in my kitchen.”
Fans have since flooded her social media with kind messages of love and support.