The family celebrates the second Thanksgiving dinner with the mailman who came to the father’s aid

An Illinois family celebrated their second Thanksgiving dinner with a US Postal Service this week. mailman who came to his father’s aid last year after he fell while walking the family dog.

The celebration was even sweeter this year, with a surprise proposal that capped 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 the second year and were pleasantly surprised when they learned the mail carrier wanted to propose to his girlfriend Sydney Rehm in front of them.

“They had the bottles of champagne waiting,” Lockhart said of the Miller family in an interview with “Good Morning America” ​​on Thursday. “They greeted us with a big smile. And it was something that was very welcomed 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 the spirit of Thanksgiving, and that is being grateful and giving,” Lockhart said on Thanksgiving Day. “She has given me the greatest gift I have ever had: love. That is something I appreciate and will cherish for the rest of my life.”

Rehm told “GMA” on Thursday that it was one of the happiest days of his life.

“We’ve experienced ups and downs, ups and downs, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else,” Rehm told “GMA” on Thursday.

Thursday’s Thanksgiving celebration was Lockhart and the Millers’ second Christmas gathering, and the group marked one year since Lockhart rushed to Guy Miller’s aid after witnessing him fall while walking.

In November 2024, Guy Miller was walking his dog Bentley when the dog suddenly ran away, knocking him to the ground.

“I had this bag of treats in my hand, and I dropped it, and I leaned over to pick it up, and at that very moment, 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 extend my hands and I hit my head on the grass.”

Lockhart, 27, previously told “GMA” that he had been working as a substitute mail carrier that afternoon when he saw Guy Miller fall.

“I was on my mail route, looking in the rearview mirror, and I saw Guy was losing his balance,” he said. “It finally fell and fell.”

He continued, “I made a U-turn and got to him as fast as I could, just to make sure he was okay.”

Guy Miller, who has diabetes, said he remembers struggling to get back up before Lockhart reached him. Lockhart recalled seeing “a lot of blood everywhere” and said he quickly began alerting neighbors and talking to Miller to try to get more information.

“He gave me his address and I went straight to his house. And luckily, his wife opened the door and [I] I just said, ‘Okay, let’s get him help,'” Lockhart said.

Marcia Miller said that once she was able to get to her husband and “they took care of all the blood, we realized, oh man, there are abrasions, 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 fine here.’ So yeah, [we’re] “I’m very, very, very grateful,” she told “GMA” previously.

The Millers said they were able to find out who Lockhart was and connect with him and his family.

Lockhart said that thanks to that chance meeting with Guy Miller last year, he started a new family. He said he will always cherish his friendship with the 75-year-old.

“I admire Guy. I see that he is a great husband; he has been a great father and a great mentor,” Lockhart said Thursday. “And I feel blessed that we’re here for another Thanksgiving and 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.

Contributed by Sabna Ghebremedhin of ABC News to this report.