Illume Fertility - Norwalk, CT 761 Main Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851

"Illume is absolutely phenomenal, and I am immensely thankful to Dr. Leondires, our nurse Rachel, and every team member who has assisted our family along the way. After enduring difficult experiences at two other fertility clinics during our surrogacy journey, I had nearly lost hope that we would be able to have more children. Since transitioning to Illume, the process has been seamless, and I am consistently amazed by the level of communication we've received, their expertise in surrogacy, and their unwavering support. I wholeheartedly recommend Illume to anyone undergoing surrogacy or dealing with infertility. Our results have been excellent, and my faith in the medical system is restored."

"To our queer community, we STRONGLY discourage you from working with this clinic. For clarity, my wife and I have been in this process for more than a year and are working with a known donor. This was our fourth clinic, and surprisingly, it came recommended by our midwife. Needless to say, it was by far the most homophobic and invalidating experience we have had to date. We both left speechless. In fact, it was so bewildering that it took us about a week to fully process what had happened. Our initial conversation with Dr. Murdock was deeply patronizing and paternalistic—even though we reminded her that we had been doing this for well over a year, she kept speaking to us as though we had no idea what we were talking about. Furthermore, she tried to talk us out of a series of decisions related to our fertility journey that are of deep importance to us. In fact, she claimed that we were so ‘emotional’ or 'optimistic' during this process, that it was up to them to make sure we were being logical and making the right choices. Again, this was pertaining to a choice we made nearly a year ago. She also tried to talk us out of working with a known donor because it’s ‘easier’ to work with an anonymous donor, without any regard or curiosity as to why it is important for us to be working with our close friend through this journey. Overall, it felt like we were not honored and respected as a queer couple who is trying to build a family in a manner that is different from that of a cis-heterosexual couple. Our choices will always look and feel different, and that is not something that felt supported in this space. Nor is that something this clinic has thought through. Instead, they force you to meet with a social worker, whose role is there to “support” the couple, but in practice it seems to be there to police queer folks choices and protect the clinic from lawsuits. In fact, we asked a social worker about this practice and they confirmed it was actually deeply unethical. Additionally, it took the Illume team 2.5 weeks to get back to us about whether or not they would work with our donor … and in that time we heard back from 3 other clinics who were willing to work with us without question. Lastly, when we let Illume know we were disappointed with our care and that we had every intention of writing this review they did not respond. If they do in fact respond to this rating you’ll know that it’s just a PR front, because they did not have enough care in our private communications to validate the experience we had."

"I had my transfer with Dr.L on 9/25. It was a fabulous experience. I’m a gestational surrogate and traveled from FL to CT. Everyone at Illume Norwalk is so nice and welcoming. The transfer was smooth and my intended parents go to be there when the magic happened. 100% would recommend Illume to others."

"Illume has been absolutely amazing! Actually they are a life saver - they tested EVERYTHING, more than my previous endro’s and discovered a serious condition that they immediately treated. They’ve been thorough in all appointments and planning. My husbands schedule is often difficult and they have been kind and patient through all scheduling. They follow up regularly to ensure all appointments are met - really they make it so I don’t have to worry or think about the “next step”. Anyone looking for fertility help must reach out to this team and establishment, they will not fail you!"

"Illume is wonderful! I always feel very taken care of. Everyone is extremely friendly and answers all my questions. They continue to make the difficult process of IVF less stressful. I was at a previous clinic before joining Illume and it has made a world of difference being here. I didn't realize patient care like Illume could exist. I am so happy they are taking care of me throughout this journey."