An Illinois family celebrated their second Thanksgiving dinner this week with a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier who came to their father’s aid last year after he fell while walking the family’s dog.
The celebration was even sweeter this year, with a surprise proposal capping off the festivities.
Guy and Marcia Miller of Aurora, Illinois, said they were more than happy to host mail carrier Jaylen Lockhart and his family for a second year and were pleasantly surprised when they learned the mail carrier wanted to propose to girlfriend Sydney Rehm in front of them.
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“They had the champagne bottles waiting,” Lockhart said of the Miller family in an interview with “Good Morning America” on Thursday. “They greeted us with a great smile. And so it was something that was very embraced and loved.”
Lockhart said he and Rehm have been together for almost 10 years and were high school sweethearts.
When Lockhart proposed on Thursday, Rehm naturally said yes.
“Sydney embodies what the Thanksgiving spirit is all about, and that’s being thankful and giving,” Lockhart said on Thanksgiving. “She’s given me the greatest gift ever: love. That’s something that I cherish, and I will for the rest of my life.”
Rehm told “GMA” on Thursday that it was one of the happiest days of her life.
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“We’ve experienced ups, downs, highs, lows, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else,” Rehm said to “GMA” on Thursday.
Thursday’s Thanksgiving celebration was Lockhart and the Millers’ second holiday gathering, with the group marking one year since Lockhart rushed to Guy Miller’s aid after witnessing him fall while out on a walk.
In November 2024, Guy Miller was walking his dog Bentley when the dog suddenly took off, pulling him to the ground.
“I had this treat bag in my hand, and it fell out of my hand, and I bent over to pick it up — and at that same time, the dog lunged forward because he saw a squirrel or something, and I lost my balance,” the 75-year-old recalled to “GMA” last year. “I didn’t have time to put my hands out and I kind of conked my head on the grass.”
Lockhart, 27, told “GMA” previously he had been working as a substitute mail carrier that afternoon when he saw Guy Miller fall.
“I was on my mail route, looking at my rearview mirror, and I saw that Guy was losing his balance,” he said. “He eventually did fall and took his tumble.”
He continued, “I did a U-turn, and I got to him as quick as I can, just kind of making sure he was OK.”
Guy Miller, who has diabetes, said he remembers struggling to get back up before Lockhart caught up to him. Lockhart recalled seeing “a lot of blood everywhere” and said he quickly started alerting neighbors and talking to Miller to try to get more information.
“He gave me his address, and I just shot right down to his home. And luckily, his wife answered the door, and [I] just told her, ‘OK, let’s just go get him some help,'” Lockhart recounted.
Marcia Miller said once she was able to get to her husband and “got the blood all taken care of, we realized, oh man, there’s abrasions, there’s scrapes, but there were no deep cuts.”
“My daughter, who is a nurse, checked him for a concussion and said, ‘You know, I think we’re OK here.’ So yeah, [we’re] very, very, very thankful,” she told “GMA” previously.
The Millers said they were able to find out who Lockhart was afterward and connect with him and his family.
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Lockhart said that due to that chance encounter with Guy Miller last year, he has gained a new family. He said he will always cherish his friendship with the 75-year-old man.
“I look up to Guy. I see he’s a great husband; He’s been a great dad, and a great mentor,” Lockhart said on Thursday. “And I’m just blessed that we’re here for another Thanksgiving, and blessed to have a great role model.”
Lockhart was also honored last year by the city of Aurora, which recognized his good deed by declaring his birthday, Aug. 29, Jaylen Lockhart Day.