He was wrong and he did wrong so did the mayor and chief of police. But many aspects of his clinic remain a mystery to this day. You people have no idea how many states/commonwealths this Hicks was in., he was known in the mountains of Pa as Hickscock. Dr. Hicks is horrible. Have The Hicks Babies Been Reunited With Their Birth Parents Or Birth Families? Babies born that early would need to remain in the hospital. The Hicks babies seemed to have mixed feelings about his actions from the Narratively profile. Are you in all of the DNA databases? What he was doing in a lot of cases is absolutely wrong because of stuff like this. The biological mothers of these individuals were persuaded to give their babies up for adoption and they were allegedly sold to their adoptive parents through the Hicks Clinic, owned by Dr. Hicks. Apparently these women were seeking abortions, not babies. This lecture will be retired after this offering, so dont miss out! Some of those in his town defend his actions, according to Narratively, saying he was providing a service. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. The truth about the adoptions came to light in 1997, more than two decades after his death, as some of the Hicks Babies began seeking out their biological parents. Now, my family has to wonder, is he out there? They did have several that admitted they went in for an abortion Im sure the guy was no saint, but i think he was saving these babies. As I watched this documentary it made me think of the story my mother told many timesas her grandmother told hershe (my mother) was born in Oliver Springs TN.. (a little over two hours from McCaysville GA) A Dr Stone dilivered her and told her mother that she didnt make it meanwhile shes lying on a cart covered up with a sheet outside the room when her grandmother realizes shes there picked her up blew into her mouth then spanked her bottom and she started crying. Blasio went on to help dozens of Hicks babies so they could track down their birth parents and relatives. Ive heard that many times in my life by a lot of people. I Just dont understand how anyone could possibly think what he did was right or just or in any way good at all!! 4. Many of the Hicks babies were able to do DNA testing as part of the TV show. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. For perspective, $1000 in 1950 is equal to about $10,900 in todays dollars. The adopted child or biological mother can call and provide information about their gender and birthdate. These babies were later sold to adoptive families. In this post, learn who the Hicks Babies are, how they got their name, and how some of them are using DNA to discover their biological origins. I was waiting for one mother to come on and say that they were told that their baby had died, but nope. Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. What part of that is okay? His forged birth certificates did not list biological parents. He did not have any choice but to lie on the birth certificates. I grew up with this story from my grandfather when i was little. Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. 2016. How HEARTLESS can someone be then to tell a parent their childTHEIR CHILD died just so he could profit? With the judges help, she learned that the clinic sold babies while they were still open. To give Sallie an answer. Could you imagine carrying your baby a whole pregnancy having a nursery all set up and you go to the hospital deliver your baby and be lied to that your baby died smh Im speechless. me are my real parents or not as i am finding out not every thing they told me about family is real. You really have no idea what you are talking about! Blasio also created a confidential registry to help Hicks babies find their parents and siblings. Several of the Hicks Babies found the mausoleum was vandalized when they paid a visit in 2018. In the 1950s and 60s a small-town Georgia family doctor illegally sold hundreds of babies from the back door of his practice. It was discovered that Dr. Thomas J. Hicks had been selling newborns from the small-town facility's backdoor for $1000. It was a horrible thing he did to my parents and the rest of us when he stole my oldest brother! According to the New York Post, Jane is just one of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Hicks, during the 1950s and '60s.. As part of his practice, Hicks performed abortions, which were illegal at the time. Hicks initially lost his clinic for doing illicit abortions. [But] I dont think it initially started that way., SAD STORYwith a happy ending for a brother & sister, John & Cindy were just 2 of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Thomas Hicks, a doctor in Georgia who was selling babies out of the back door of his clinic in the 50s & 60s. 23andMe is on sale right now. He induced births, told mothers their babies died and sold them! Dr. Thomas Hicks. Her initial search was unsuccessful, so she contacted a Georgia probate attorney. I hope you guys can find what your looking for. There are about 200 people, now adults, who are among those who are sometimes referred to as Hicks Babies. There is absolutely NO defense for that.He treated these babies like they were nothing more than a puppy mill money making machine. But advocates hope it will someday happen. The illegal adoptions came to an end in 1964, when Hicks was caught performing illegal abortions. And then the consistent low birth weights are concerning. Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! He lost his medical license in 1964, but he faced no jail time for the illegal abortions. Natalie. i never thought it was real when i was little either. Just watched the documentary. He then relocated just across the line in McCaysville Georgia. So, what you are saying is, when my mom went to deliver my BROTHER and was told he was born dead, yet she has nightmares TO THIS DAY that she heard her baby cry for her. I was born in 1967. He is buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. Blasio says that 50 of the 200+ children have been identified and located. Shame on him and all those who covered for him and his horrific lies. As a matter of fact she grieved the rest of her life for her first born she thought had died! I can promise you this, if theres a hell, he is in the front row seat! Theres probably a lot of dead babies because of his practices. Many are still trying to find their biological relatives. Dr. Hicks, who passed away at the age of 83, was born in 1888 in Picket County, Tennessee. I kept yelling at the tv he saved your freaking life!!!! Since these adoptions were discovered more than two decades after Dr. Hicks death, there are many details of the story that may never be uncovered. After watching this documentary I can see how he got away with it for so long. She named him Von Gordon. I am honored to be part of the behind-the-scenes team of passionate and compassionate people who helped some of them in their journeys. Dr. Hicks was married and had two kids a son and a daughter. Why dig up a grave when dna could have given these people the answer if they were siblings? You dont want to vilify him? I dont know the truth, the people involved back THEN know. He was arrested for performing illegal abortions in 1964. Chang, Juju, Jasmine Brown, Geoff Martz and Lauren Effron. He also has a living granddaughter named Sally Sompayrac. Love and hugs to them all! The townspeople believed he encouraged pregnant women who came to him to carry their babies to term instead. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. she weighed a little over 4lbs I wonder if theres any connection between those doctors. But honestly, my suggestion would be for them to live for today. And he gave the babies to equally desperate childless parents. In addition, he did serve time in jail in Tennessee for illegally dispensing narcotics in the 1940s. I had a brother who was given up for adoption by his mother in Tennessee. He surrendered his Georgia medical license to halt his prosecution.2. I am currently fixing to do my own dna test. my sister some how never got the gene or blood of him. On the documentary the officer in the second episode claimed he gave a relative of his a shot and she died 30min later. A sick, twisted & greedy man. To have an unequivocal reference sample for any other Hicks children who want to know their origins. His work remained buried as well. Even though Dr. Hicks is not suspected to be biologically related to any of the Hicks Babies, some people might find his ancestry and family tree to be of interest. These babies were born between 3.5 and 4.75 lbs.. very unfavorable!! Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn more about yourself. Originally from Tennessee, Thomas Hicks was educated at Tusculum College (now Tusculum University) and Carson-Newman College, both in Tennessee, and Emory University Medical School near Atlanta, Georgia. His wife and son have both passed away. Brother of Infant Daughter Hicks, U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI)Listed as Thomas HicksBirth: Oct 18 1888Death: Mar 1972Last residence: Copperhill, Tennessee 37317, USA, News report: [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3186644/Adopted-woman-51-SO]. now that im older and i actually understand what happened i think its horrible. A lot of the babies that were sold were under 5lbs which could indicate that he induced labor which would make the childs death more believable since the baby came early. Babies came to the mountains with him and babies left the mountains with him. Did your mother give birth in Akron or in McCaysville? It may be that I never find my brother but maybe I could find his children. We will never know the hell they have suffered. He lied to many and told them their babies died! Narratively, accessed 17 September 2019. v. Wade legalized abortions. Her decade-long search for her birth parents led to the exposure of Hicks' illegal babies. Besides his charitable practices, he performed unauthorized abortions. While its true that some of the adults who were adopted as babies are using DNA to discover their biological origins, it is not because they suspect a biological connection to the Hicks family. There was a tip-off, though. My mother grieved for her baby the rest if her life! Many had no idea they were adopted until well into adulthood. Jane Blasio's search for her birth mother in McCaysville, Ga, brings to light the black-market sale of as many as 200 babies delivered there by the late Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks between 1951 and . discoveries. Jane Blasio, The Hicks Baby Who Broke the Black Market Baby Adoption Case: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Most biological mothers disappeared after giving birth to their babies. The story is told on Taken at Birth. Father of Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr; Dr Walter Lynn Hicks and Private Thomas Hicks was a well-respected doctor in the small town of McCaysville, Georgia. Login to find your connection. Blasio knew she was adopted at a young age. Dr. Hicks created fake birth certificates and listed the adoptive parents as biological parents. Hicks Baby Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother. One thousand dollars in 1955 would be nearly $10,000 today. At the other end of the transaction, adoptive parents drove to a window in the alley behind the clinic, shelled out $1,000 or morebig money for the timeand were handed a newborn. Just one grandparent can lead you to many 1910 - Civil District 10, Sullivan, Tennessee, USA, Lucy E Hicks, Carrie E Hicks, Laura A Hicks, David Fleming Hicks, Mary Louise Hicks (born Holt), Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Jr, Walter Lynn Hicks, Margaret Mary Brown (born Hicks), est Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Ketron (born Hicks), John William Hicks, Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson (born Hicks), Anna Laura Bradley (born Hicks), Samuel Ernest Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Ketron, John William Hicks, Unknown Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson, Anna Laura Bradley (born Hicks), Samuel Earnest Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Hicks, John William Hicks, Unknown Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson (born Hicks), Annie Laurie Hicks, Lucy E Hicks, Carrie Ellen Hicks, Anna Laura Wisdom Bradley (born Hicks), Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Walter Lynn Hicks, Margaret Brown (born Hicks), Mary Edith Rogers Davis, Thomas J Jr Hicks, W Lynn Hicks, Margaret Hicks, Bloomingdale, Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States, Copperhill, Polk County, Tennessee, United States, Crestlawn, Polk County, Tennessee, United States. In the mid-1940s, Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks opened the Hicks Community Clinic in the small town of McCaysville, Georgia, mere steps from the Tennessee state line. Father of Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr; Dr Walter Lynn Hicks and Private His birth certificate when he ent into the service was different than the one his parents had, so all I know its June 19 or 20, 1941. The illegal adoptions came to an end in 1964, when Hicks was caught performing illegal abortions. Dr. Thomas Hicks family tree Even though Dr. Hicks is not suspected to be biologically related to any of the Hicks Babies, some people might find his ancestry and family tree to be of interest. She grieved for him her entire life! Geni requires JavaScript! That is crazy! Tune in to #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, starting TONIGHT at 9/8c. i come from to sides of a family that are both messed up. These babies were born between weighing only 3.5 and 4.75 lbs.. ALL very unfavorable conditions!!!! Those few cases were a woman gave birth knowing she did not want the baby, and Dr. Hicks found someone wanting to adopt, are far and few between! All of Dr. Hicks grandparents were born in Tennessee, as were many of his great-grandparents. The adoptive parents paid $1,000 for the baby, and Hicks would provide housing for the mothers for several months at his farm, a hotel, his apartments or a telephone company building, according to Appalachian History. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. About 15 of the 200+ babies have been reunited with their biological parents. Dr Hicks ran a clinic in McCaysville, Georgia, from about 1945 to 1965. No one with half a brain can even think that is good. Now fast forward 50 years, memories are skewed, you feel differently now, maybe you wish things were different. It can sometimes be more difficult to pinpoint the exact identify of someones biological parents without closer cousins, such as first cousins. Are you nuts? Evil does not begin to describe this man. The sentiments were echoed in other news stories. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. Have you taken a DNA test? I am the youngest of seven siblings. Thomas is 21 degrees from Jennifer Aniston, 20 degrees from Drew Barrymore, 22 degrees from Candice Bergen, 26 degrees from Alexandre Dumas, 17 degrees from Carrie Fisher, 32 degrees from Whitney Houston, 20 degrees from Hayley Mills, 20 degrees from Liza Minnelli, 20 degrees from Lisa Presley, 21 degrees from Kiefer Sutherland, 17 degrees from Bill Veeck and 22 degrees from Brian Nash on our single family tree. What Happened To Dr. Hicks And His Associates? If they were going to have an abortion like some people are saying then there would be absolutely no need to tell the moms that. But he didn't stop the illegal adoptions. And, even though it was illegal, many women thought they were having an abortion. Nor did he put women in touch with legal adoption providers. Hicks lied, blatantly, to some of these women, hell probably 90% of them. And the $1k sounds about like what my Dad was sold for. The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column. It would give me great peace to know I found him or his family for my sweet Mama. What an awful tragedy. Dr Thomas Hicks Family Tree Do You Know These Top Templates? I agree totally with you.This all sounds awful. How can this man NOT be vilified?! In 2020 a 4lb baby as a very good chance of not making it even with amazing NICUs in todays age. Those who were passed through the window as babies to adoptive parents have stopped by to see where their lives changed direction so early in life. TLC I recommend that you test with AncestryDNA and 23andMe, then consider transferring the raw data file into some of the other databases if you dont have luck at the first two. The source for today's story was the book The Hicks Family Tree; The Magnificent Journey of Our Branch of the Hicks Family Tree, 1455 to 2011, and The Families That Made a Difference, written by Gale Hicks Thompson and Bob G. Hicks. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is the "bad guy" featured in a three-part docuseries titled Taken At Birth. He gave them good care. According to the neonatalogist interviewed in the show many other babies must have died. Dr Hicks didnt keep records of the births and adoptions, so the only way to find your brother, if hes still alive, would be if he decided to look for you using DNA. She never got over it. No matter where they grew upmost often in the industrial cities of Ohiotheir birth certificates said they were born in the Hicks Clinic in McCaysville, Georgia. Dr Hicks sold over 200 babies from his clinic in McCaysville during the 50s and 60s Credit: YouTube. How Did People Find Out About the Hicks Babies? I cannot imagine being one of these babies. How can you condone that? Dr. Hicks obviously cannot give his side of the story. Some were children of women Hicks convinced not to have abortions. That evil man lied to my mother and stole my oldest brother and by the way, $1000 was alot of money in the 1930s, 40s and 50$ in the Appalachian Mountains. Why am I rehashing this. I just wanted to say I watch this show about a little girl. In other cases, he said their babies were stillborn and died before or during delivery. Corinthios, Aurelie. Dr. Dhingra has of over a decade in diagnostic, clinical, research and teaching work, including managing all sections of Pathology laboratory including histopathology, cytology, hematology and clinical Pathology. She noted to the TV station many of them went to good homes and led successful lives. Barbara, the very same thing happened to my Mother. Today, these babies are referred to as "Hicks babies.". What he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children. Thanks, He induced labor and delivered low birth weight babies that were in danger of dying. It includes a handout, plenty of time for questions and discussion, and access to the recording for 2 weeks. His wife and son both passed away, and his daughter lives in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. Thank you. My Mama and Daddy were very young yet very poor when this evil man told my Mama her first born son, my oldest brother was dead. So for that reason, I think were putting too much faith in these womens stories. Dr. Hicks was a town doctor who performed illegal abortions. It wouldve been 1964. He sold those babies for a profit. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. Some theorized Hicks was buried beside his mausoleum because of concern the grave would be vandalized. One of those babies he delivered in Tennessee was my oldest brother who was supposedly still born. Somehow I missed this Documentary the first time it aired. So telling the one mother her twin boys were stillborn is acceptable to you. Dr. Hicks did lose his medical license in 1964 due to an infraction unrelated to the illegal adoptions. She did tell me she heard her baby cry and Dr Hicks told her he was still born. But lets be honest, no one is going to admit that they willingly sold their baby. They adored Dr Hicks and were fiercely protective of his reputation and legacy. Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks Thomas Jugarthy Hicks in MyHeritage family trees (Sompayrac Web Site) Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr in 1940 United States Federal Census Thomas Hicks in U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) view all Immediate Family Chassie Hicks wife Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr son Dr Walter Lynn Hicks son Private child Mary Louise Hicks mother He buried them for her (such a nice guy) and gave her a birth certificate stating they were stillborn. Copyright 2023 The DNA Geek Ascension WordPress theme by, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal, Babies For Sale: The Secret Adoptions That Haunt One Georgia Town, Hicks Baby Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother, Busted not for selling babies, but for the abortion clinic, 23andMe Introduces the Automated Family Tree , The Hicks Babies The DNA Geek | Ups and Downs of Family History V2.0, https://thednageek.com/how-to-transfer-your-ancestrydna-test-to-other-databases/, Book Review: I Know Who You Are, by Barbara Rae-Venter, Up Your DNA Game With New Courses in 2023, Verogen Increases Costs for Law Enforcement Again, A Board of Certification for Investigative Genetic Genealogy Is Announced. She was 6 years old when her adoptive father sat her down about it. This is how this group of babies, who are now all grown up, came to be called Hicks Babies. For over 50 years this small town has been hiding a shocking secret. can you imagine waking up one day to find out accidently that you were adopted and come to find out through this show or other means that your wife is your sister or first cousin? So all of what you said is ridiculous. The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. The adoptive parents paid $1,000 for the baby, and Hicks would provide housing for the mothers for several months at his farm, a hotel, his apartments or a telephone company building, according to Appalachian History. (@Angel5Christine) October 8, 2019. He induced birth prematurely to make money. He ran the Hicks Community Clinic and offered his services to poor copper mining families. When she ask Dr Hicks about it he told her it was the medication making her think that. I am by no means defending Dr Hicks black-market adoption practices, but its important to remember that, even today, people die from asthma attacks. They were all corrupt! All of the babies were children of mothers who were persuaded to give up their children for adoption, and were not biological children of Dr. Hicks. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - geni family tree. Never has been black market babies, she told WKYC. Curiously, Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is not buried in a mausoleum that bears his name, but beside it. Dr Hicks induced some babies early, and they would have been put in incubators had then been born that early today. Aside from giving the adopted daughter her answer. He died in 1972 and it took three decades before Hicks' actions were brought to light. Kriste Hughes is reunited with her mother, Thelma Tipton, and big brother Roger Tipton, after Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks illegally sold her to adoptive parents . Dr. Hicks was married and had two children, a son and a daughter. Since you cant know which one in advance, your most cost-effective strategy is to test with AncestryDNA and 23andMe and then transfer the raw data file into the other databases for free. More than 200 babies, known as the Hicks Babies, were sold by Hicks through a back window of the Hicks Community Clinic in McCaysville, Georgia during the 1950s and 1960s. I realize Dr. Hicks is not here to defend himself or answer questions, but I cannot imagine how you can defend him after what you heard. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGFJ-W52: accessed 10 April 2021), Thomas J Hicks in household of D Fleming Hicks, Civil District 10, Sullivan, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 162, sheet 7B, family 136, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9119259/thomas-jugarthy-hicks, See: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:McCaysville%2C_Georgia Time is running out. If hes alive, hopefully hell see the TV show and decide to test. Some of the ads and links on this website are affiliate links which pay me a commission if you purchase through them. Dr. Thomas Hicks McCAYSVILLE, Ga. - Services for Dr. Thomas J. Hicks, Sr., 83, of McCaysville will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Finch's Chapel here, burial in Crestlawn Cemetery in Copperhill, Tenn. Dr. Hicks, who operated Hicks' Clinic from around 1945 until he retired in 1965, died of leukemia Sunday. The second would have been no later than 1962. His Georgia clinic was located only a short distance away from his previous practice in Tennessee right across the border. When I told my parents about this documentary.. My dad said well back then they didnt have the equipment to deal with infants like they to do today my response was oh they didnt know to clear the air passage way and slap a baby on the bottom?

Distance From St George Utah To Reno Nevada, Richie Furay Daughter, Surgeon General Commander Commander Deck, Articles D