We were so sad to hear of Dr. Korts passing and wanted to post the following article:
Famed Ga. Infertility Doctor Dies of CancerUpdated: Friday, 13 May 2011, 5:56 AM EDTPublished : Friday, 13 May 2011, 5:40 AM EDT By TACOMA PERRY/myfoxatlanta ATLANTA - The state of Georgia has lost the doctor at the forefront of the field of infertility. Dr. Hilton Kort lost his battle with cancer last Friday. Some of Dr. Kort's patients and colleagues say he will be sorely missed. Dr. Kort's influence reached just about every corner of the world. And though he is gone, his work will undoubtedly live on. "Can't even open their eyes yet here and we were just so happy and we were just thrilled," said a patient named Ann. She did not want her last name to be known. Ann and her husband's twins are considered a miracle and a dream come true made possible by one man. "With Dr. Kort, you immediately felt completely at ease, completely like he was going to take care of you and he did. He made you feel like everything was going to be ok," said Ann. Renowned infertility specialist Dr. Hilton Kort was referred to her by her neighbor as one of the best. "We sat in his office and it was as if we were the only two people in the world," said Ann. It's the same sentiments expressed by couples and colleagues upon hearing of his passing from cancer, last Friday. Dr. Kort was a legend in the field of infertility. As a founding partner in Reproductive Biology Associates, the first in-vitro fertilization clinic in the southeast, he was responsible for the first baby born through IVF in Georgia. Dr. Daniel Shapiro met him 25 years ago as a medical student at Emory. "This is a very stressful field. Our patients go through a lot. And I think that's why he was so successful is because it didn't matter what else was going on, every patient, and I've watched him do this as a medical student, I learned this from him, every patient felt like he was devoting all of his attention to them and them alone," said Kort's colleague, Dr. Daniel Shapiro. And in the small, simple ways that was true. He is credited with overseeing nearly 10,000 IVF cycles in more than three decades, yet he personally called patients after a procedure. Jill and Bill Capp got a call 17 years ago. "Not a day goes by that I don't look at him and realize it's a true miracle that he's here," said Jill Capp. "I feel Dr. Kort was just absolutely instrumental in certainly bringing me into this world. I think he was just a great man," said Casey Kapp. An eternal optimist who competed in ironman competitions all over the world, Dr. Kort's legacy will certainly live on, not only in the hearts of his patients but in the smiles of their children. "Our child, Sophia Grace is almost 3 years of age and without him, I mean, I don't have that child. He stuck with us. He didn't give up on my wife, who was older and he didn't give up on our dream. When we look at our child, we know we see him in the process," said colleague and patient Dr. Andrew Toledo. The "Walk of Hope" took place at Grant Park on Saturday, May 14, to raise awareness of infertility issues. Many teams and individuals were walking in memory of Dr. Kort. For More information about the walk, visit: http://familybuilding.resolve.org/site/TR/WalkofHope2011/Gener
