That son adopted Sallie, who was featured in the show. In the 1950s and 60s a small-town Georgia family doctor illegally sold hundreds of babies from the back door of his practice. What Happened To Dr. Hicks And His Associates? He induced births, told mothers their babies died and sold them! I am happy to offer a dna sample if possible. As a result, he could not provide information that would help the babies find their parents or the other way around. I dont trust my own memories, let alone 50 year old memories. She noted to the TV station many of them went to good homes and led successful lives. v. Wade legalized abortions. Dr. Thomas Hicks. 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! After watching this documentary I can see how he got away with it for so long. In the documentary they have a positive match for Dr Hicks fathering one of the babies. Did you like this post? The good Dr told the mother they were still born. I cannot imagine being one of these babies. After I watched your show on TLC, I took a trip up to the mountains., looked the house that was HIckscock and made a big mistake when I asked some questions. There was no reason not to dig up his grave. That is when my older brother was born and my mother was told he was still born even though she told me she heard her baby cry. Instructions for how to transfer the raw data file to MyHeritage and FTDNA are here: https://thednageek.com/how-to-transfer-your-ancestrydna-test-to-other-databases/. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. That seems to be a repetitive theme amongst the living relatives. He sold at least one more baby after he was shut down. He induced labor and delivered low birth weight babies that were in danger of dying. 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. Dr Hicks quickly hushed the nurse and gave my grandma something to make her sleep. Not to mention the fact that some of these birth mothers thought their babies DIED! But honestly, my suggestion would be for them to live for today. Could you imagine the survival rate back then for babies 3lb or 4lbs. Many had no idea they were adopted until well into adulthood. Otherwise he wouldnt have needed to lie about them being stillborn. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - geni family tree. It was a horrible thing he did to my parents and the rest of us when he stole my oldest brother! Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks Can never know. Expand. #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, begins TONIGHT at 9/8c. Dr. Hicks served as a town doctor in McCaysville, Ga., and was known for performing abortions, which were illegal at the time. How HEARTLESS can someone be then to tell a parent their childTHEIR CHILD died just so he could profit? Jane Blasio, The Hicks Baby Who Broke the Black Market Baby Adoption Case: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. These women often came away from faraway places. Have you taken a DNA test yourself? TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. The man that is Dr.Hicks first stolen, one of the twins. If you have any questions about something that you read in this post, please join in the discussion below. So many of the women were told their babies had died. Hi, the category is just Category:McCaysville, Georgia. That doesnt mean that my heart doesnt break for the pain that these people have gone through and continue to go through. She was present when authorities opened the mausoleum. It would give me great peace to know I found him or his family for my sweet Mama. "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPQ5-SW1: accessed 10 April 2021), A G Hicks, Copperhill, Polk, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 10, sheet 1B, line 89, family 17, "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4ZJ-HRF: 11 January 2021), Thomas J Hicks, Civil District 3, Polk, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 70-8, sheet 11B, line 42, family 207, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Busted not for selling babies, but for the abortion clinic. Theres probably a lot of dead babies because of his practices. He also told the mothers that their babies died, gave them death certificates but then sold the baby out the back door for $1000. 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. We dont know anything about the adults he has seen. Uncover your ancestry, paternity, and health risks for peace of mind, Get affordable medical tests that you can privately take at home, Test your gut bacteria and learn ways to restore its balance, Discover healthy diets and apps that can help you lose weight, Lose weight without sacrificing your nutrition and health, Straighten your teeth at home and see visible results in months. You gotta wonder if this was a routine operation throughout history. Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. My brother was born in the middle 1930s. https://t.co/900llb4znH, Angel Patriot?? Bloomington, Pickett, Tennessee, United States, Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks & Chass Copeland, marriage record, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9119259, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-06-mn-10123-story.html, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/23/us/town-secret-is-uncovered-in-birth-quest.html, https://www.distractify.com/p/dr-hicks-taken-at-birth, https://narratively.com/babies-for-sale-the-secret-adoptions-that-haunt-one-georgia-town/, https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a29403041/who-is-dr-thomas-j-hicks/, https://nypost.com/2019/10/08/black-market-babies-reunited-after-more-than-50-years/, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hicks-babies-trying-to-find-their-roots-decades-later/, https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/investigations/decades-old-secret-adoptions-solved-by-modern-dna-for-akron-area-families/95-597582808, https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2014/jun/22/seeking-family-links/250410/, https://globintel.com/usa/dr-thomas-hicks-wiki-taken-at-birth/, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSZD-WWR, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGFJ-W52, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ6P-BJM, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNX9-1PS, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN5X-3HV, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPQ5-SW1, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4ZJ-HRF, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JRRC-NPT, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:McCaysville%2C_Georgia, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. Dr. Hicks did lose his medical license in 1964 due to an infraction unrelated to the illegal adoptions. was there more than one Dr. Hicks mentioned in the Taken AT Birth documentary or just one? Copyright 2023 Who are You Made Of? Thank goodness your grandmother was there and knew what to do. Some of Hicks Babies, as they are sometimes referred to as, have done DNA tests in order to identify relatives who might be able to help them learn who their birth parents were. Thanks, And then today, with abortions being legal, aborted babies are having their body parts SOLD what a repugnant thought. These babies were born between weighing only 3.5 and 4.75 lbs.. ALL very unfavorable conditions!!!! Thank you. Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! If shes still alive and knows shes adopted, she may be looking for you using DNA. 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. These babies were later sold to adoptive families. She was 6 years old when her adoptive father sat her down about it. Several in the town told the outlet the story was sensationalized. 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. He was protecting himself & looking out for his own financial interest!!! is anything else your are looking? 2016. How can this man NOT be vilified?! Both of Dr. Hicks parents were born in Tennessee. You are right, Dr Hicks was an evil man. Mama had seven more babies after that(Im the youngest)she never stopped grieving for her oldest son. Blasio has dedicated her life to helping reunite Hicks Babies with their biological families. I hope your brother decides to test someday. I dont know the truth, the people involved back THEN know. What if, you are a scared young woman, 16 or 17 or even 19, pregnant in rural GA or TN, shame ridden as some would have felt, just wanting this to be taken care of. Try DNA ancestry.comI found my biological father this waybest way to find out if you have family is through DNA, Take a ancestry dna That is the test they are using. And the $1k sounds about like what my Dad was sold for. Have you heard the story of Dr. Hicks? Hed ask them to put on a medical gown and lay down on a table. Are you nuts? That is not correct. Corinthios, Aurelie. Have you taken a DNA test? People, accessed 17 September 2019. Janice, I am from Polk County Tennessee as well and Dr Hicks delivered my oldest brother before they ran him out of Tennessee. Not sure how you can justify robbing mothers of their babies (some were told the babies died) or destroying the records so those that wanted to find their biological parents had no way of doing so. Youve got poor, pregnant, unmarried women, who then need to come up with a story for their friends and/or families as to why there is no newborn . The reason I am writing is this. It is in Gods hands. The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column. And youve had children with them??? His wife and son both passed away, and his daughter lives in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. 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. Estimated reading time: 5 minutes From 1951 to 1965 Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks began to quietly offer babies for adoption from his Hicks Community Clinic in McCaysville, GA. I was waiting for one mother to come on and say that they were told that their baby had died, but nope. Im sorry but thats a totally twisted way of thinking in my view!! Hicks may not have been in Georgia during that time, but if he was in TN that might be a lead. Shame on him and all those who covered for him and his horrific lies. She is a brave woman who helped a lot of people find answers. How can you condone that? He is monster!! Babies For Sale: The Secret Adoptions That Haunt One Georgia Town. But advocates hope it will someday happen. Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok. Some babies were that small but not all of them. Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. I Just dont understand how anyone could possibly think what he did was right or just or in any way good at all!! Many of those from Hicks small town defended his actions. To have an unequivocal reference sample for any other Hicks children who want to know their origins. Dr Thomas Hicks Family Tree Do You Know These Top Templates? My mother was soooo lucky compared to all of the hudreds of babies Hicks Babies. Unfortunately, Hicks kept no records of the birth mothers. He delivered my oldest brother. Well he and Alannas birth father very similar. He sold those babies for a profit. Their lower-priced test is fine for your purposes. Dr. Hicks was married and had two kids a son and a daughter. My mother/father picked me up from a nurse in a hotel in 1967. Dr. Hicks died of leukemia in 1972 at the age of 83. She worked with TLCs Long Lost Family to locate biological family members. Selling 200 babies in illegal adoptions at $1000 each could have made a person very wealthy in 1950, though his exact motivations may never be known. Narratively, accessed 17 September 2019. For perspective, $1000 in 1950 is equal to about $10,900 in todays dollars. If he was truly compassionate and a good man he would not have lied to the mothers and told them they delivered a stillborn baby or that the baby died. The cost is the same for you. The method of the illegal adoptions has left many questions for those who started their lives in Hicks clinic. is anything else your are looking? What he provided were lies to young mothers and fathers who wanted their babies ! What Does It Mean If You Have 1% Native American DNA? Yes he had a choice he just made the wrong one for greed!! 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. Would love to have help, Im mr.hicks grate grate grand daughter sadly, hes from my moms side of the family. Interesting. Somehow I missed this Documentary the first time it aired. The story of the "Hicks Babies" broke almost 20 years ago when a researcher discovered that between 1950 and 1965, a Dr. Thomas Hicks of McCaysville, Georgia, sold babies he delivered in his clinic to couples looking to adopt children. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Sr Born 18 Oct 1888 in Bloomington, Pickett, Tennessee, United States Ancestors Son of David Fleming Hicks and [mother unknown] [sibling (s) unknown] Husband of Chass (Copeland) Hicks married 7 Jun 1917 in Polk, Tennessee, USA Father of Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Jr Died 5 Mar 1972 at age 83 in Tennessee, United States They were not, and he sold those babies. The same lecture is offered twiceNovember 1 and 2, 2022to accommodate schedules and time zones. But there was nothing in it. Dr Hicks told some of the mothers that their babies died, then he sold them. New York Times, accessed 17 September 2019. Is like $10,000. So far, there are no positive DNA matches between babies and parents from the database. Doctor Hicks was NO saint and we recognize his dysfunction, the pain he caused many, and have learned to bear it, she wrote. During the years that he ran his clinic, the town was at its population peak of between 1,800-2,000 residents. My Hicks line starts in New York in 1833. At-home DNA testing wasnt available until recently. what he did was very wrong and im very sorry for all those kids and parents. Hicks didnt oversee legal adoptions. Dr Hicks ran a clinic in McCaysville, Georgia, from about 1945 to 1965. 4. (@Angel5Christine) October 8, 2019. 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. His wife and son have both passed away. I dont know. Hicks Baby Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother. She had particular qualms with the notion of black market babies.. The Hicks babies seemed to have mixed feelings about his actions from the Narratively profile. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. These werent all women seeking abortions, a number of these women were seeking medical care for themselves and their unborn babies only to be robbed of that precious life. I just wanted to say I watch this show about a little girl. If so, login to add it. There were mothers who were told their babies died. Natalie. Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. It sits in a plaza in McCaysville, Georgia with a pizza shop on one end and a barbecue restaurant on the other, according to Narratively. Mama named my brother Von Gordon. This is how those who were adopted can identify the parents or grandparents of their biological parents. My Mama and Dad were married and biological parents to my brother. pic.twitter.com/3dg3CRes3u. Aside from giving the adopted daughter her answer. Some on here commented that the bio moms were likely unwed and didnt want the babies. These folks deserve to know where they came from! Im sure there are also many, many Hicks babies out there that have no idea they are Hicks babies. 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 . I submitted my DNA in hopes that I might find my brother or some of his family. I am a mother of a baby born in 2016 at 30 weeks 3lbs in an amazing NICU I couldnt imagine if my son was born in his condition back then. They werent all there for abortions!! However, many people are able to discover closer relatives, like aunts and uncles or even half-siblings, through DNA testing. I personally think he is a sociopath and I wonder if he could have been a Serial Killer as well. My parents were a young married couple and very much wanted their baby! Who is Parent 1 or Parent 2 on Ancestry DNA? Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. However, only four of his siblings survived to adulthood. So telling the one mother her twin boys were stillborn is acceptable to you. If you find ANYTHING humane or OKAY about that then God so help you! Appalachian History says his daughter is still alive and living in North Carolina. The world is full of possibilities, and you are amazing! 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. But those he left behind have differing opinions on his actions. This is accomplished through the careful study of DNA matches. All of Dr. Hicks grandparents were born in Tennessee, as were many of his great-grandparents. In 2020 a 4lb baby as a very good chance of not making it even with amazing NICUs in todays age. Did your mother give birth in Akron or in McCaysville? My mother grieved for her baby the rest if her life! Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. There are always three sides to any story: One side, the other side, and the truth (which is usually somewhere in between). It was discovered that Dr. Thomas J. Hicks had been selling newborns from the small-town facility's backdoor for $1000. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. They adored Dr Hicks and were fiercely protective of his reputation and legacy. New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal. But what does anyone think was normally done with illegally aborted babies during that time I can tell you, they were likely disposed of in with the garbage. You arent responsible for their sins. It can sometimes be more difficult to pinpoint the exact identify of someones biological parents without closer cousins, such as first cousins. With the judges help, she learned that the clinic sold babies while they were still open. 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? Does it say where he was born or the name of the doctor? Yes. THE ONE FAMILY HAD TWIN BOYS AND THE MAN WAS IN A FAMILY THAT HATED HIM HIS ENTIRE LIFE. Her decade-long search for her birth parents led to the exposure of Hicks' illegal babies. Despite the illegality of the abortions, Hicks would advertise the service at phone booths, bus stations and bridges, according to Appalachian History. Hicks beliefs did not fully mesh with abortions, and he would sometimes convince women that he would handle adoptions if they carried the babies to term, according to WKYC in Cleveland, Ohio. Babies were handed out to them through the door or window. Not a mother who wanted to give her baby up for adoption, but a mother who trusted her doctor? Oh my gosh Barbara, he also delivered the babies early, like induced at between 31 & 34 wks causing them to have low birthweight, failure to thrive and other health issues. Just keeping an RN on duty, even in the 1950s -60s, was a big expense. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Oh well for them, I was raised in those mountains and Im not afraid of them. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks died at age 83 on March 5, 1972, after a battle with leukemia. The series tells the story of a man that stole over 200 babies and sold them on the black market. As a matter of fact she grieved the rest of her life for her first born she thought had died! THIS POOR WOMAN THOUGHT HER TWIN BOYS HAD DIED. I am helping a relative looking for his birth parents or siblings. She is a member of a Facebook groups which joins the Hicks babies. She was 23. we do not know where these births occured most of our family is deceased. 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. The adopted child or biological mother can call and provide information about their gender and birthdate. i never thought it was real when i was little either. His Georgia clinic was located only a short distance away from his previous practice in Tennessee right across the border. i come from to sides of a family that are both messed up. Thank you for visiting dr thomas hicks family tree page. pic.twitter.com/aTH43ks3Co. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. She said the whole time she was having the babies that there was a very nice dressed lady sitting in the room across the hall from her. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. Love and hugs to them all! 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. He lied to many and told them their babies died! If they went there to have abortions and he told them what they wanted to hear, saved the lives of their babies and put them into the arms of loving parents, that makes him a hero in my eyes. It sits in a plaza in McCaysville, Georgia with a pizza shop on one end and a barbecue restaurant on the other, according to Narratively. 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. Anyways the family is from Georgia and they film there as well. They can arrange a meeting if a match shows up and both sides want to meet. The illegal adoptions stopped in 1964 when Hicks . Just one grandparent can lead you to many About 15 of the 200+ babies have been reunited with their biological parents. She hopes DNA testing will enable them to find their birth parents. I will find out who my mother was and why my dad was killed. Hicks was providing a service, Ken Rush, director of the Ducktown Basin Museum, told Narratively. Cristine Santander is a content writer for KnowYourDNA. Dr. Hicks is horrible. You made your decision. Thank you! I was born in 1967. She named him Von Gordon. Are you on drugs. Some theorized Hicks was buried beside his mausoleum because of concern the grave would be vandalized. Maybe hes out there and will search for you. My husband and I said the same thing while watching this show! It is suspected that many of them did and there is rumor that perhaps he disposed of those little bodies in the river. What is the Levant DNA Region on Ancestry. Theres nothing there, Linda, one of the Hicks Babies, told Narratively. That $1000. Instead, he illegally sold the babies for approximately $800 to $1,000 each.1. Has your family done any dna tests like 23andme or ancestry? GOOD NIGHT DEAD DAD, GOOD NIGHT GOOD NIGHT. Below is the list of best dr thomas hicks family tree website where you can find anything related to dr thomas hicks family tree. That is crazy! 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. He was born October 18, 1888. It turned into a business. The townspeople believed he encouraged pregnant women who came to him to carry their babies to term instead. In 2014, around 30 suspected Hicks Babies traveled to Tennessee to undergo DNA testing. "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN5X-3HV: 3 February 2021), Thomas J Hicks, 1920. I still dont know, one of the Hicks Babies, Melinda, told the publication. There is no evidence that any of the babies that were adopted through the actions of Dr. Hicks are related to him. I do hope your brother survived and is out there somewhere. When she woke she only had one baby. She never got over it. I kept yelling at the tv he saved your freaking life!!!! 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. I am the youngest of seven siblings. He deserved to be paid for his time and services as well after all, this was time he could have spent seeing other patients, and medical equipment and supplies are not cheap.