There was just one problem. Her grandson had changed his number.
The text went to a 17-year-old high school senior named Jamal Hinton. He was pretty sure it wasn’t his grandma. So he asked for a selfie, and back came a photo of Wanda.
Jamal sent a selfie of his own to let her know she had the wrong number. Then he joked, “Can I still get a plate tho?”
Wanda almost deleted the message. “Then something just came over me,” she said.
“Of course,” she replied. “That’s what grandmas do. They feed everyone.”
The internet fell in love with them. And a few days later, Jamal really did come to Thanksgiving dinner.
He has come every year since.
Over time, they became much more than a funny story. “It’s been more than a friendship,” Jamal said. “I felt like almost ever since the first year, we were family.”
They have been through good times and hard times together. Wanda lost her husband, Lonnie, during the pandemic. In 2024, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Jamal and his girlfriend were there for her every step of the way. That year, for the first time, Jamal planned to host Thanksgiving for her.
Wanda has since said she is cancer-free, and the two of them have now shared ten Thanksgivings together.
“It’s just amazing,” Jamal said, “to sit back and think that one mistaken text led to so many people’s happiness and joy.”
Do you have a friend who has become family? Share this with them this Thanksgiving.