Our fertility journey with Illume (formerly RMA of CT) began with our first journey and continued through our second. Much has changed between these two experiences. After their rebranding to Illume, we noticed a shift in the quality of care. There was more waiting and less proactive communication—almost as if once they had us as clients, the personalized attention faded. The clinic seemed more focused on business, though pricing and financial plans were clear and upfront. However, billing communications were sometimes confusing, with random charges appearing without clear explanations. Dr. L performed our embryo transfer during our first journey, and we appreciated his supportive approach then. However, for our second journey, we found out at the last minute that a different provider would be performing our first transfer, which unfortunately did not take. After discussing our disappointment with our care coordinator, Dr. L performed the second transfer a few months later. Despite these challenges, we are grateful for the time and support provided during both journeys. However, reaching the team by phone was difficult, and they were reluctant to schedule meetings at times convenient for us. As full-time healthcare professionals ourselves, we preferred scheduled calls, but the clinic often insisted on calling when it suited them. Email communication was more effective, though some issues still required phone conversations. Overall, while Illume provided the clinical care we needed, the experience felt more transactional compared to our first journey. Despite that, we are incredibly blessed to have two healthy and amazing children—a boy and a girl—through this process. We truly appreciate the high standards Dr. L holds himself to and his commitment to staying on the cutting edge of science. We believe this dedication played a significant role in the excellent quality of our children’s health, for which we are deeply grateful.

Dr. Leondires and everyone at Illume Fertility were amazing throughout the entire process. From guiding us through the timeline of events to making sure we were completing all the necessary steps to transparently reviewing pricing, they were fantastic. They kept us highly informed during the actual embryo creation and subsequent transfer, and made sure we and our surrogate were treated well and cared for. I would absolutely recommend them.

Ilume provided good medical advice resulting in a successful pregnancy. Only hassles were typical doctor’s office-type disorganization and disagreement with agency re if surrogacy candidate could handle stress of pregnancy. Some might find Ilume too cautious, others could see it as a positive.

We had a seamless, professional and caring experience working with Illume and Dr. Leondires for our first and second surrogacy journeys. They were accommodating, clear and supportive about what was expected of us as intended parents as well as what was expected of our surrogate in the lead up to and during our sperm retrieval and embryo transfer. Illume's staff was also hugely supportive of our egg donor during her egg retrieval process. We appreciated that Dr. L would call to check in as soon as information was available (often after hours). We also appreciated the expert advice we received at the clinic about things like donor selection and what choices to make around genetic testing. Would highly recommend!

Medical assistants were phenomenal. At times, the practice was disorganized with poor communication. Relationship with the fertility doctor was strained through much of the journey.

We began our journey with Illume Fertility (formerly RMA of CT) and are grateful for their support in helping us build our family. A highlight was our initial in-person consultation with Dr. L. He was not only informative and focused on evidence-based care but also someone who personally understood our experience. As a same-sex couple, it meant a lot that Dr. L and his husband had gone through the process themselves. This made him deeply empathetic and a strong advocate for other LGBTQ+ families. Dr. L combined compassion with up-to-date knowledge of the latest research and techniques, which gave us confidence in the quality of care we received. We initially hoped to use Illume’s egg donor bank but found the selection limited and not fully aligned with our needs. After further evaluation, the donor we considered did not qualify, so we moved forward with a different donor who felt very supported by the team throughout. Both our egg donor and surrogate felt cared for during the process, which gave us added peace of mind. Illume’s financial package was clear and upfront, allowing us to plan without surprises. The clinic has a large team, many of whom were accessible via email, though it was sometimes challenging to reach someone by phone. We also experienced some staff changes along the way. Communication occasionally had small delays but remained within a normal timeframe, and the process moved forward steadily. Overall, Illume provided the clinical expertise, clarity, and support we needed during a complex journey. We’re thankful for their role and especially for Dr. L’s compassionate guidance in helping us grow our family.

(2023, USA parents)They were communicative and able to explain things clearly. Dr. Leondires was great, and very frank in describing the process and procedures. The staff were friendly and helpful. But sometimes they left messages at the end of the day, and we couldn't get in touch until the following days.

Overall, we were very pleased with our experience working with Illume Fertility. Dr. Leondires and his team were responsive and professional. We did have a small hiccup when trying to match with our preferred egg donor but that was ultimately resolved through increased communication and process clarification. We particularly appreciated the finance team and nursing staff at Illume who we engaged with the most frequently. They were incredibly thoughtful and accessible.

We had a seamless, professional and caring experience working with Illume and Dr. Leondires for our first and second surrogacy journeys. They were accommodating, clear and supportive about what was expected of us as intended parents as well as what was expected of our surrogate in the lead up to and during our sperm retrieval and embryo transfer. Illume's staff was also hugely supportive of our egg donor during her egg retrieval process. We appreciated that Dr. L would call to check in as soon as information was available (often after hours). We also appreciated the expert advice we received at the clinic about things like donor selection and what choices to make around genetic testing. Would highly recommend!

(2019, USA parents) They got the job done but their communication skills were fairly lacking on all fronts.

Dr. Mark Leondires is superb, very knowledgeable and has a very high success rate for embryo transfers. Every time he performed the transfer it was successful on the first try