This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Have you taken a DNA test? Think about it, some of these folks could fall in love with a relative and not even know it. If you find ANYTHING humane or OKAY about that then God so help you! 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. 'Hicks Baby' Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother, Who are the Hicks babies? Dr Thomas Hicks Family Tree Do You Know These Top Templates? Some on here commented that the bio moms were likely unwed and didnt want the babies. 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. And, even though it was illegal, many women thought they were having an abortion. Some babies were that small but not all of them. And then the consistent low birth weights are concerning. His clinic, the Hicks Clinic, was in operation between about 1945-1965. This is how this group of babies, who are now all grown up, came to be called Hicks Babies. Both of Dr. Hicks' parents were born in Tennessee. Furthermore, over 200 babies! They werent all there for abortions!! HIS BIO FAMILY DIDNT FIND OUT ABT HIM UNTIL 60 YEARS LATER AND TOO LATE BECAUAE HIS MOTHER WAS I ALREADY DEAD. Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. Many of the Hicks babies also began searching for their biological families. I am currently fixing to do my own dna test. 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. Ideas for Getting Responses from DNA Matches. I Just dont understand how anyone could possibly think what he did was right or just or in any way good at all!! Have you heard the story of Dr. Hicks? Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. How can this man NOT be vilified?! He was never formally charged with arranging these illegal adoptions, and for this reason, he never went to jail or faced legal consequences for his actions. The illegal adoptions came to an end in 1964, when Hicks was caught performing illegal abortions. Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. What he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children. And youve had children with them??? Dr Harshi Dhingra is a licensed medical doctor with a specialization in Pathology. In 2014, around 30 suspected Hicks Babies traveled to Tennessee to undergo DNA testing. On the documentary the officer in the second episode claimed he gave a relative of his a shot and she died 30min later. My Mama and Daddy were young parents and though they were very poor they both wanted their first born with all their heart! Dr. Thomas J. Hicks died at age 83 on March 5, 1972, after a battle with leukemia. I was warned about ever asking those questions again, this man said I know who you are, please let it alone. Instead of killing the children he delivered live infants, told the mothers their babies were dead, and gave the babies away to parents who wanted them. 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. Despite the illegality of the abortions, Hicks would advertise the service at phone booths, bus stations and bridges, according to Appalachian History. They look exactly alike. He told some of the biological mothers that they had undergone an abortion. But lets be honest, no one is going to admit that they willingly sold their baby. Blasio blew the whistle back in the 1990s. she weighed a little over 4lbs I wonder if theres any connection between those doctors. Perhaps your dad was referring to the equipment used to save preemies. Are there any unresolved feelings or unanswered questions you're still working to unravel? It is in Gods hands. Dr. Hicks was married and had two kids a son and a daughter. 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. If you have any questions about something that you read in this post, please join in the discussion below. Blasio first traveled to McCaysville in 1988 to search for her birth mother. After years of wondering about her birth family, will Diane finally have closure? I am the youngest of seven siblings. #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, begins Wednesday at 9/8c. Father of Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr; Dr Walter Lynn Hicks and Private 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. My mother grieved for her baby the rest if her life! He wasnt going around knocking girls up and holding them hostage in his apartment until they delivered their babies so he could sell them.. Sompayrac believes her grandfathers actions helped the birth mothers in need and gave the babies life. Many people who fell victim to the Hicks baby market hope these DNA tests will help them find closure. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. How Did People Find Out About the Hicks Babies? Ignorance is a terrible thing smh!!!! Busted not for selling babies, but for the abortion clinic. We dont know anything about the adults he has seen. 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. we are not in the dna data bases but i would be glad to give my dna to find out what happened just point me in the right direction i will be watching tlc hicks babies. I know your heart aches. 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. Many are hoping DNA will link them to their birth families, and some of them have found biological parents, siblings and parents through DNA, according to WKYC. As I say, not perfect, but a good man, Doris Abernathy told WKYC. survivors include his mother, diann loftice barker of mckinney; stepfather, don barker of mckinney; three brothers: billy loftice of princeton, ron and jasen loftice both of mckinney; two sisters: lisa murphy of culleoka, artie stone of princeton . So that he could make money. 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. His Georgia clinic was located only a short distance away from his previous practice in Tennessee right across the border. My mother remarried in 1969 in GA, I cannot locate any information about her daughter except a clipping cutout from the obituaries in michigan, NO GRAVE, BIRTH OR DEATH RECORDS can be found, can you help, The connections of Georgia and Michigan and Ohio seemed odd, we desperately desire to locate her, Do you know where she was born (which clinic or hospital)? 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. Dr. Hicks died of leukemia in 1972 at the age of 83. She hopes DNA testing will enable them to find their birth parents. Well he and Alannas birth father very similar. I owe my life to him, but he has also been the cause of so much pain and suffering. 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. "Tennessee State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNX9-1PS: 4 December 2014), Thos J Hicks and Chassie Copeland, 07 Jun 1917; from "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: 2008); citing p. 222, Polk, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee. Instead, he illegally sold the babies for approximately $800 to $1,000 each.1. He is the man behind the babies who are now called the Hicks Babies. i just hope i wont go made like them. 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 . Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. He was buried in Crestlawn Cemetery in Polk County, Tennessee. This is how those who were adopted can identify the parents or grandparents of their biological parents. 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. Facebook The judge discovered records showing an unusual number of women visiting Hicks clinic. That $1000. To give Sallie an answer. I wondering how far the rabbit hole goes with him. This lecture will be retired after this offering, so dont miss out! 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. Husband of Chassie Hicks So no, I cant completely vilify as I just dont know. HE WAS A HORRIBLE MAN, JUST HORRIBLE!!! Many came forward after their adoptive families said they were from the Hicks clinic. 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. But honestly, my suggestion would be for them to live for today. And most of these women were likely unmarried, which was a huge no-no at the time. He induced births, told mothers their babies died and sold them! 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. It may be that I never find my brother but maybe I could find his children. There were mothers who were told their babies died. Dr. Hicks did lose his medical license in 1964 due to an infraction unrelated to the illegal adoptions. My parents lived together for 62 years and went on to have seven more children but my Mama grieved the rest of her life for the son she lost! Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. "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. Besides his charitable practices, he performed unauthorized abortions. Many of the Hicks babies were able to do DNA testing as part of the TV show. Are you for real?? 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. He delivered many babies in Tennessee before they ran him out of the state. If there was no demand for the service, Hicks would not have been doing it. my sister some how never got the gene or blood of him. He was born October 18, 1888. The news captivated many outside McCaysville. For him to lie to these women is unforgivable. Some of the ads and links on this website are affiliate links which pay me a commission if you purchase through them. Brother of Lucy Elizabeth Ketron; John Willie Hicks; Samuel Earnest Hicks; Infant Daughter Hicks and Carrie Ellen Dickson. This was rural Appalachia in the 50s and 60s, a lot of poor families. How HEARTLESS can someone be then to tell a parent their childTHEIR CHILD died just so he could profit? Now fast forward 50 years, memories are skewed, you feel differently now, maybe you wish things were different. She grieved her the rest of her life for her first born son. Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks I have so many thoughts racing through my mind. In 2020 a 4lb baby as a very good chance of not making it even with amazing NICUs in todays age. Test prices are here: https://thednageek.com/dna-tests/ Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - geni family tree. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. I hope you guys can find what your looking for. We could be related. Husband of Chass Chassie Hicks Quietly, because the clinic he'd been running since the mid-1940s was not a licensed adoption agency. Evil does not begin to describe this man. What people dont realize is Doc Hicks started his practice in Tennessee. She named him Von Gordon. He states that he chased the car down the road from where hicks office was to try and get me before they took off in 1954. The illegal adoptions stopped in 1964 when Hicks . Babies were handed out to them through the door or window. If you fully watched the documentary you would know that almost all the babies were 4lbs at birth weight or even SMALLER and he was doing this to hurry along the money. Bruen, Matthew Steven. Hicks was performing abortions long before Roe. Shame on him and all those who covered for him and his horrific lies. She worked with TLCs Long Lost Family to locate biological family members. The charges didnt mention that he sold babies or had them illegally adopted. pic.twitter.com/3dg3CRes3u. My Grandma has been gone several years now, but she told us numerous times that in 1952 when she gave birth to my aunt that she remembers having two babies and the nurse telling her she had a boy. He is monster!! Love and hugs to them all! Have The Hicks Babies Been Reunited With Their Birth Parents Or Birth Families? Dr. Thomas Hicks. Hicks didnt oversee legal adoptions. It sickens me to see any one make what he did look OKAY! Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! How is the river any worse, I ask you? Thank you for visiting dr thomas hicks family tree page. Barbara, the very same thing happened to my Mother. That seems to be a repetitive theme amongst the living relatives. If it was a black-market clinic, there probably arent any records of the transaction. 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! 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. Login to find your connection. You dont want to vilify him? Copyright 2023 Who are You Made Of? At least 200 babies had their identities stolen. me are my real parents or not as i am finding out not every thing they told me about family is real. I hope that you have found this article interesting, and that you understand more about the story of Dr. Hicks and how the individuals who were adopted through his clinic might be able to use DNA results to discover the identities of their biological parents. Curiously, Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is not buried in a mausoleum that bears his name, but beside it. 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. In other cases, he said their babies were stillborn and died before or during delivery. Many of those from Hicks small town defended his actions. Anyways the family is from Georgia and they film there as well. I just wanted to say I watch this show about a little girl. I am watching the TV documentary on Dr. Hicks and do not believe he should be so vilified. Now, my family has to wonder, is he out there? The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. Dr. Hicks was a town doctor who performed illegal abortions. What he did was completely illegal, but was it less moral than aborting these babies? Expand. Categories Searching for Biological Family. About 15 of the 200+ babies have been reunited with their biological parents. "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. Taken at Birth: The Hicks Clinic Stolen Babies, Best Food Sensitivity Test To Take At Home (2023), The Best DNA Tests (for Health, Ancestry, and Ethnicity), Best At-Home Allergy & Intolerance Tests (2023), We Took The Viome Gut Test Heres Our Verdict. The Dr Hicks who ran the black-market adoptions had a son who became a dentist. These babies were later sold to adoptive families. And in 1972, Hicks died at age 83. The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. She never got over it. But not all of the babies have been reunited. The six-part, three-night special revisits the case of Dr. Thomas J. Hicks, who sold or gave away more than 200 infants from the '40s to the '60s By Jeff Truesdell Published on October 8, 2019 10: . 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. Did your mother give birth in Akron or in McCaysville? Geni requires JavaScript! How can you condone that? 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. Thank you so much. Im sure there are also many, many Hicks babies out there that have no idea they are Hicks babies. 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. 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. 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 . In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. THE ONE FAMILY HAD TWIN BOYS AND THE MAN WAS IN A FAMILY THAT HATED HIM HIS ENTIRE LIFE. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ6P-BJM: 23 February 2021), Thos J Hicks, 1917-1918. "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (. What we have now is the mothers side of the story. Appalachian History says his daughter is still alive and living in North Carolina. Thats a totally twisted way of thinking!!! New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal. My mother/father picked me up from a nurse in a hotel in 1967. They adored Dr Hicks and were fiercely protective of his reputation and legacy. I am from Tennessee before Dr Hicks moved across the state line to McCaysville Ga. Blasio also created a confidential registry to help Hicks babies find their parents and siblings. Looking for a DNA test that's accurate and can tell you about your health and heritage? Her name is Alana honey boo boo if you dont know who she is you can google her. 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 Learn how your comment data is processed. His death occurred in 1972, long before any of the children that had been adopted illegally through Dr. Hicks clinic had discovered the truth about their origins. Wow! was there more than one Dr. Hicks mentioned in the Taken AT Birth documentary or just one? As a result, he could not provide information that would help the babies find their parents or the other way around. He was protecting himself due to his many illegitimacies & looking out for his own financial interest!!! I was waiting for one mother to come on and say that they were told that their baby had died, but nope. Thank you. It can sometimes be more difficult to pinpoint the exact identify of someones biological parents without closer cousins, such as first cousins. Mama named my brother Von Gordon. You can see for yourself google him. You are absolutely correct in your assumption. 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. 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. This man told women that their babies had died or were stillborn. Mama said they ran him out of Tennessee not long after that because he was killing so many babies. Many of those from Hicks small town defended his actions. Hed do anything for anybody sometimes hed pay a price for it, she said. Thank you for visiting dr thomas hicks family tree page. She noted to the TV station many of them went to good homes and led successful lives. Hicks was providing a service, Ken Rush, director of the Ducktown Basin Museum, told Narratively. 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. The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. 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. A legacy linked to illegal adoptions in rural North Georgia, Woman illegally sold to couple by doctor as newborn speaks out with new book: 'story isn't just about me'. 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. 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. 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/. According to the neonatalogist interviewed in the show many other babies must have died. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. So yes he should be vilified! Jane Blasio, who broke the story of the Hicks Babies and leads investigative efforts, wrote her thoughts about Hicks on her website. Those who are among the babies that were adopted through the Hicks Clinic can take DNA tests to help discover who their biological parents might have been. Dr. Hicks, who passed away at the age of 83, was born in 1888 in Picket County, Tennessee. Hed encourage them to put their babies up for adoption instead. In the small town, the. Occupation: Dentist Spouse: Sallie Cobb Johnson Adopted children: Thomas J. III and Sallie Cobb Hicks Son of Chassie Copeland and Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Sr. who performed illegal late term abortions, sold infants on the black market and is the subject of the TLC documentary Taken At Birth.. Thank you! Aside from families that might eventually tell their adult children, the only hope Hicks babies have of finding their biological relatives is DNA tracking. That doesnt mean that my heart doesnt break for the pain that these people have gone through and continue to go through.
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