Viral grandma and stranger she mistakenly texted to celebrate 10th Thanksgiving together

Back in 2016, Wanda Dench meant to invite her grandson to her Thanksgiving celebration. Instead, she accidentally texted Jamal Hinton of Phoenix.

The two realized the mistake once she sent a photo confirmation of herself, with Hinton responding, "[You're] not my grandma," and adding a laughing emoji.

Dench and Hinton talked to Fox News Digital about how their accidental Thanksgiving invite blossomed into a decade-long friendship - and how they're celebrating their 10th holiday together.

"I remember like it was yesterday because it was exciting and fun, and totally unexpected [in terms of] the end results when all the media kind of circled us," said Dench. "Meeting Jamal was the best thing ever, and I am saying that from my heart. That's true."

Hinton, for his part, said meeting Dench changed his life. "I remember it like it was yesterday, my senior year [of high school]. I was already like the popular kid, [and] I became like the super popular kid." 

He added, "But for me, the story's been a blessing since day one."

She said at first, she wasn't sure if she wanted to go public with her diagnosis. Yet friends and family encouraged her to use her platform to spread awareness, she said.

Dench said Hinton encouraged her to share her diagnosis last October.

"Jamal goes, 'This is a good month to do this because it's breast cancer awareness month.' And that was in October of last year."

She added, joking, "I didn't even know it was breast cancer awareness month, and I felt like I should have known that before him."

Dench said she always thought it was the cutest thing, and that she's been blessed by the outpouring of support she has received.

"I'm grateful that I got that message out there," she said. "I've had a lot of responses. Women are thanking me for mentioning that, and they're telling their mother or their grandmother," she said.

This year, Hinton will be "hosting" Thanksgiving. The meal will be catered through a partnership with Green Giant to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary.

"There isn't one thing I don't like on the menu," said Dench.