How a Tennessee woman turned surrogate for her former high school teacher

CBS News

08-02-2025

Duck River, Tennessee — For as long as they've been married, Ashley and Spencer Totty of Duck River, Tennessee, have dreamed of raising more than just the cows they have on their farm.
The former high school teacher and her utility lineman husband, married since October 2014, both really wanted a family.
"I've always wanted to be a mom," the 35-year-old Ashley told CBS News. "And we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. And we still don't know why."
The couple had five miscarriages. In vitro fertilization treatments didn't work, and the dream faded.
That is when Ashley received a message described by Spencer as "completely out of the blue." Now, she believes it was sent by God. But at the time it came in the form of a note through Facebook Messenger, sent by a former student from long ago who had heard what the couple was going through.
"It's weighed heavy on my heart for several years now," the note from 27-year-old Hannah Dearman read. "Idk (I don't know) where you are with your journey to motherhood, or what your circumstances are. However, If you ever need a surrogate, I'd love to help you become a mom. I hope this isn't weird, but I love you and feel like you're a wonderful person and would be the best mom. I have prayed for you often."
How did Ashley respond?
"I was like, you know what, at this point, nothing is crazy to me," Ashley said.
Dearman, a mother of three, remembers her old teacher vividly.
"She was just so loving and kind," Dearman told CBS News. "And she's caring. She has a great personality."
So even though she had hardly seen Ashley since graduation, Dearman offered to carry her baby for free.
"I needed to fulfill this," Dearman said.
Dearman gave birth to Sophie Leigh Totty on July 29, 2024. Sophie is now about 7 months old and as happy as they come. She is a bubbly bundle of proof that good begets good, and often, miracles come to those who deserve them most.
"It reassures me that there's a tremendous amount of positivity in the world," Spencer said.