MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — A heartwarming story of friendship and family unfolded in central Iowa this year as two longtime teachers at Miller Middle School turned a decades-long bond into something even deeper when one agreed to serve as a surrogate for the other. Anna Miller and Morgan Hurst, both teachers who began working at the school 14 years ago, forged a connection that students once described as like sisters, a bond that culminated this past December with the birth of Dellyn, the second child for Miller and her husband.
Miller and her husband had spent ten years trying to have a second child, enduring more than 20 rounds of invitro fertilization and heartbreaks before reaching the difficult decision to pursue surrogacy. Hurst, whose own pregnancies had been smooth and supported by her family, was the first to offer help. “If you need that, I’m happy to help,” Hurst told Miller — a simple, powerful decision rooted in love and friendship.
On April 1, 2024, an embryo was transferred, and Miller’s positive pregnancy test brought joy and disbelief: “Oh my god, this is actually happening,” she said. Throughout the pregnancy, the two teachers shared moments filled with anticipation, laughter, comfort and support between classrooms and staff rooms at school.
In December 2025, Hurst carried Dellyn to term and delivered the baby just in time for the holidays. Hurst said she wanted Miller to have the first moments with her child and gently stepped back so the joyful parents could share those initial precious minutes together after Dellyn’s birth. Miller later described that first night alone with her daughter as “magical” — a moment she had hoped for for so long.
Now about a year after Dellyn’s birth, both women’s families remain closely bonded — not just as friends and coworkers but as an extended family whose shared journey began in the hallways of a middle school. Their story has resonated locally as a tribute to resilience, generosity and the depth of human connection.
