Norwalk, CT, June 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Illume Fertility, a leading fertility practice in the tri-state area providing best-in-class patient experience and cutting-edge treatments, proudly participated in the Men Having Babies Atlanta conference, held June 5-7 at the JW Marriott Atlanta Downtown. The event brought together intended parents, surrogacy professionals, medical experts, and LGBTQ+ family advocates for a weekend of education, resources, and community support focused on helping prospective fathers navigate the path to parenthood.
Held during Pride Month, the conference featured comprehensive programming covering the legal, medical, ethical, and financial aspects of surrogacy, along with guidance on new developments in family building, workplace benefits, financial assistance resources, and independent surrogacy pathways. Attendees also had the opportunity to connect with more than 20 LGBTQ+ inclusive agencies, clinics, law firms, and surrogacy providers from across the country.
Dr. Mark Leondires, Founder and Medical Director of Illume Fertility, and a member of the MHB Advisory Board, participated in the conference’s Medical Aspects of Surrogacy panel alongside leading fertility experts from across the U.S. The discussion explored the IVF process, embryo creation, and the medical screening considerations for intended fathers, egg donors, and surrogates.
“Men Having Babies continues to provide an invaluable space for transparency, community support, and education for intended parents,” said Dr. Leondires. “We are proud to help future fathers better understand the medical aspects of surrogacy and feel more informed and confident as they begin their parenting journeys.”
Throughout the conference, Illume Fertility connected with prospective parents through educational conversations and private consultations, offering individualized guidance tailored to the unique needs of male couples and single fathers-to-be. The practice also joined fellow providers in supporting MHB’s mission to expand access to ethical, inclusive, and informed family-building resources.
As a continued supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, Illume Fertility remains committed to helping couples and individuals pursue parenthood with confidence, and support at every stage of the journey. During Pride Month and in recognition of Father’s Day, the practice celebrates the growing number of LGBTQ+ fathers and families, as well as the communities and organizations helping make parenthood possible for future generations. Recently, Illume Fertility was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader for the eighth consecutive year, reflecting the practice’s longstanding commitment to inclusive, patient-centered fertility care. Illume is also the only free-standing fertility center in the Northeast recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader.
About Illume Fertility
Illume Fertility is a leading fertility practice in the tri-state area providing best-in-class patient experience and cutting-edge treatments by award-winning physicians to help patients achieve their fertility and family-building goals. Led by an expert team of nine highly credentialed, double board-certified reproductive endocrinologists, many of whom have received Castle Connolly’s prestigious Top Doctors award, Illume Fertility specializes in a complete range of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) including intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and egg, embryo and sperm cryopreservation. Recognized as a Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign for eight consecutive years, and the only free-standing fertility center in the Northeast recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader, Illume Fertility’s commitment to inclusive care includes a world-renowned egg donation and gestational surrogacy program, a dedicated team of third-party reproduction experts, and Gay Parents To Be®, an award-winning resource hub offering tailored support for LGBTQ+ family building. Illume Fertility is the only regional fertility clinic with offices in Connecticut and New York offering comprehensive holistic support services, including in-house nutrition counseling, onsite genetic counselors, fertility acupuncture, yoga for fertility, community events, as well as a network of mental health providers focused on fertility and family-building. Illume Fertility is proud of its exceptional success rates including more than 2,000 surrogacy journeys and 18,000 babies welcomed, and continues to be a leader in patient-centered care, providing compassionate, expert guidance to each prospective parent served.
- Dr. Mark Leondires speaking on a panel at Men Having Babies Atlanta