One Chicago-based postal worker will spend Thanksgiving with a family of strangers this year after his noble act.
Jaylen Lockhart was making his daily rounds as a United States Postal Service employee when he saw Guy Miller fall while walking with his dog in Aurora, Illinois on November 16. According to NBC Chicago, Lockhart saw Miller in the rearview mirror of his postal van before rushing out to help him.
The concerned worker immediately dialed 911 and tried to locate Miller’s home. Lockhart asked neighbors for Miller’s address so he could inform his family of the accident.
Speaking to WLS-TV, Lockhart recalled his thought process at that moment. “I wasn’t sure exactly what I was getting myself into. But I did know that whatever he was going through on that ground, we were going to go through it together,” he remembered.
Thankfully, Miller only came out with minor bruising. The city government shared an update on Miller’s health and expressed gratitude for Lockhart’s kindness.
“Jaylen’s quick-thinking, selfless actions helped to save the day,” the government’s Facebook post read before adding how Miller was “bruised but will be ok.”
Marcia, Guy’s wife, reached out to Lockhart, wanting to repay him for helping her husband. “I said, ‘What are you doing for Thanksgiving? You have family? Yeah?’ We said, ‘We’re family, definitely,’” she told NBC Chicago.
Now, Lockhart and his loved ones will be joining the Millers for turkey on November 28.
What’s more, Mayor Richard Irvin presented Lockhart with his Award of Service at the Aurora Winter Lights Festival. In pictures shared on the city government’s FaceBook, Lockhart can be seen helping light the community’s Christmas tree.
Lockhart was appreciative of the city honor. He told WFLD: “I’m blessed and so glad that I was chosen to do this. I will hold this near and dear to my heart.”
The Millers and Lockhart aren’t the first strangers to spend Thanksgiving together. In fact, Wanda Dench, a grandmother from Arizona, and Jamal Hinton, a 25-year-old man, have been getting together for years since their accidental text chain.
In 2016, Dench unintentionally texted Hinton, thinking it was her 24-year-old grandson. Hinton was sitting in his high school class when he received the message from Dench. The two quickly figured out Dench had meant to text someone else. However, Hinton still asked if he was welcome at Dench’s Thanksgiving dinner. Sure enough, Dench extended the invitation. The two have remained close for years.
Sadly, in late October, Hinton broke the news that Dench had been officially diagnosed with breast cancer. He took to X/Twitter to post a message written by his dear friend.
“You might know how we met in 2016 when I accidentally sent him a text inviting him to Thanksgiving when I thought I sent it to my grandson,” she started. “It went viral and it changed our life for the better and we still plan on getting together for Thanksgiving next month as we have every year.
“Earlier this year, I came down with bronchitis and had a CT scan to check out my lungs. That’s when a mass in my breast was detected and they suggested I get a mammogram and that verified I had breast cancer,” she continued.
