Family Celebrates 2nd Thanksgiving With USPS Worker Who Helped Father Amid Health Crisis

An Illinois couple once again had a special guest at their Thanksgiving table this year.

The Miller family hosted USPS mail carrier Jaylen Lockhart — along with his partner and young daughter — at their Aurora home for the second year in a row after Lockhart came to the aid of 75-year-old Guy Miller when he fell while walking his dog in November 2024, perGood Morning America.

At the time, Lockhart, 27, was working as a substitute mail carrier when he saw Guy lose his balance after the dog suddenly lunged forward.

“I was on my mail route, looking at my rearview mirror, and I saw that Guy was losing his balance,” Lockhart previously recalled to the outlet. “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, who has diabetes, said he remembered struggling to get back up before Lockhart came to his aid. Lockhart recalled seeing “a lot of blood everywhere” and said he quickly began alerting neighbors and talking to Miller to try to get information.

Guy gave Lockhart his address, and the mail carrier raced to his home and knocked on the door. When his wife, Marcia Miller, answered, he told her what had happened, and she and Guy’s daughter, who is a nurse, rushed to his side.

“My daughter checked him for a concussion and said, ‘You know, I think we’re OK here.’ So yeah, (we’re) very, very, very thankful,” Marcia toldGMAafter the incident last year.

The Miller family later tracked down Lockhart and connected with him and his family. That led to an invitation to their Thanksgiving gathering last year. They hosted Lockhart for the holiday once again on Thursday, Nov. 27.

The occasion was made even special when Lockhart proposed to his girlfriend, Sydney Rehm, as the Millers looked on in excitement. He got down on one knee and presented her with a ring — and she said “yes.”

“They had the champagne bottles waiting,” Lockhart toldGMAin an interview on Thursday. “They greeted us with a great smile. And so it was something that was very embraced and loved.”

Lockhart and Rehm are high school sweethearts who have been together for almost 10 years. They share a 2-year-old daughter, Lennyn.

Reflecting on his love for his fiancée, Lockhart said, “Sydney embodies what the Thanksgiving spirit is all about, and that’s being thankful and giving. 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 the outlet that the engagement was one of the happiest days of her life.

“We’ve experienced ups, downs, highs, lows, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else,” she said of her relationship with Lockhart.

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than likely, Lockhart will be returning the favor of those Thanksgiving dinner invites by inviting the Millers to the couple’s wedding. He toldGMAhe has gained a new family since his chance encounter with Guy last year and looks up to the 75-year-old as “a role model.”

“I see he’s a great husband. He’s been a great dad, and a great mentor,” Lockhart said. “And I’m just blessed that we’re here for another Thanksgiving, and blessed to have a great role model.”