Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. Blasio has dedicated her life to helping reunite Hicks Babies with their biological families. 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. Never has been black market babies, she told WKYC. 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. Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, the man behind the Hicks Babies, ran a small clinic in the tiny town of McCaysville, Georgia. 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. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. 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. I am currently fixing to do my own dna test. amd im 13 so i have a long way to go . Thank goodness your grandmother was there and knew what to do. In 2020 a 4lb baby as a very good chance of not making it even with amazing NICUs in todays age. So telling a mother that her baby died at birth while he sold it out his back door was fine with you? I may have a couple brothers out there. The pain these mothers felt I could never imagine and not to mention how many of these babies died from being delivered wayyyy too prematurely. Her name is Alana honey boo boo if you dont know who she is you can google her. She had particular qualms with the notion of black market babies.. Melinda, of the Hicks Babies, I have a missing, supposedly deceased infant sister, born in supposedly michigan in 1967, 1968 or 1969. Dr. Hicks served as a town doctor in McCaysville, Ga., and was known for performing abortions, which were illegal at the time. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Genealogy for Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. My decision is there was something very wrong going on. 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! Father of Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr; Dr Walter Lynn Hicks and Private 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. I have had two of my children die. is anything else your are looking? Both of Dr. Hicks parents were born in Tennessee. Hicks lied, blatantly, to some of these women, hell probably 90% of them. a fun fact is that me and my mom and my dead grandfather only have his blood. He sold those babies for a profit. Have The Hicks Babies Been Reunited With Their Birth Parents Or Birth Families? Enter a grandparent's name. 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. AND IN ALL ACTUALITY HICKS LIED TO HER TO GET HER TWIN BOYS AND MADE OVER 2000 OFF OF HER PAIN. The man that is Dr.Hicks first stolen, one of the twins. But there was nothing in it. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Sompayrac believes her grandfathers actions helped the birth mothers in need and gave the babies life. Mama never got over this. "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. 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. He died in 1972 and it took three decades before Hicks' actions were brought to light. It would give me great peace to know I found him or his family for my sweet Mama. Evil does not begin to describe this man. Narratively, accessed 17 September 2019. He was wrong and he did wrong so did the mayor and chief of police. Blasio also created a confidential registry to help Hicks babies find their parents and siblings. He ran the Hicks Community Clinic and offered his services to poor copper mining families. His wife and son have both passed away. Do you have your fathers original birth certificate? Below is the list of best dr thomas hicks family tree website where you can find anything related to dr thomas hicks family tree. 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. Youre as crazy as he was if you think he should even get a pat on the back for his time and services. 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. He also delivered the babies early, between 31 & 34 wks causing them to have low birthweight and health issues. I was waiting for one mother to come on and say that they were told that their baby had died, but nope. ABC News, accessed 17 September 2019. HIS BIO FAMILY DIDNT FIND OUT ABT HIM UNTIL 60 YEARS LATER AND TOO LATE BECAUAE HIS MOTHER WAS I ALREADY DEAD. My mom had two stillborn they told her. Besides his charitable practices, he performed unauthorized abortions. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. The same lecture is offered twiceNovember 1 and 2, 2022to accommodate schedules and time zones. It may be that I never find my brother but maybe I could find his children. We can tell ourselves stories, and they become our truths. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column. 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. How Many Babies Did Thomas Hicks Put Up For Adoption? His name would have been Von Gordon Prince. Bragg, Rick. Remember that these women had no where else to go, no one to turn to. Those who were adopted have few places to turn to track down their origins. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. 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. He was married and had three children. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. This is how this group of babies, who are now all grown up, came to be called Hicks Babies. Yes he had a choice he just made the wrong one for greed!! Powered by. Theres nothing there, Linda, one of the Hicks Babies, told Narratively. Furthermore, over 200 babies! Wow! Have you heard the story of Dr. Hicks? How the hell would YOU feel? Most biological mothers disappeared after giving birth to their babies. The Hicks babies seemed to have mixed feelings about his actions from the Narratively profile. There were cases where Hicks talked women out of abortion. You people have no idea how many states/commonwealths this Hicks was in., he was known in the mountains of Pa as Hickscock. Unless you were one of the babies there is no way you could know what its like to have this to happen to you. She has a B.S. 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. I hope your brother decides to test someday. We only know about the ones who survived. 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. now that im older and i actually understand what happened i think its horrible. There was a tip-off, though. 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. She hopes DNA testing will enable them to find their birth parents. Learn how your comment data is processed. Leave a message for others who see this profile. Hed encourage them to put their babies up for adoption instead. He also has a living granddaughter named Sally Sompayrac. Many people who fell victim to the Hicks baby market hope these DNA tests will help them find closure. This type of adoption is just one way that many babies are adopted through illegal, black market adoptions. "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. This is a different story than what I expected! 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. To push the boundaries of DNA science. Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. It can be a serious disease. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. There are many people who were adopted at birth who can use similar strategies to learn more about their recent and distant ancestry. Are there any unresolved feelings or unanswered questions you're still working to unravel? They adored Dr Hicks and were fiercely protective of his reputation and legacy. 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 . In 1964, the town sheriff arrested Hicks for performing illegal abortions. She did NOT go to him for an abortion, she went to deliver MY BROTHER. I dont trust my own memories, let alone 50 year old memories. Dr Hicks sold over 200 babies from his clinic in McCaysville during the 50s and 60s Credit: YouTube. Looking for a DNA test that's accurate and can tell you about your health and heritage? On another point, Ive heard it said that Dr. Hicks disposed of aborted babies in the river. He delivered many babies in Tennessee before they ran him out of the state. Babies came to the mountains with him and babies left the mountains with him. Cristine Santander is a content writer for KnowYourDNA. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. Are you in all of the DNA databases? 23andMe is on sale right now, so its a good time to buy. So telling the one mother her twin boys were stillborn is acceptable to you. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. You dont want to vilify him? He was buried in Crestlawn Cemetery in Polk County, Tennessee. The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. (@Angel5Christine) October 8, 2019. Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. Just horrible! Some of those in his town defend his actions, according to Narratively, saying he was providing a service. Stories of young girls dying from botched abortions in the early 50s still exist in the living memories of those from the region. Clickherefor more information. The sentiments were echoed in other news stories. Hicks was the beloved town doctor in the tiny mountain town of McCaysville, but women came from miles around to seek his services. Aug 05, 2015 at 7:11 pm. By learning about the family trees of their 2nd-3rd cousins, they can identify groups of DNA matches who are related to each other through the same common ancestor. Eventually, in 1964, he was caught performing an abortion and was summarily stripped of his medical license. He reportedly performed abortions, which were illegal at the time, for $100. The townspeople believed he encouraged pregnant women who came to him to carry their babies to term instead. 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. He was married to a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. Dr. Hicks obviously cannot give his side of the story. pic.twitter.com/aTH43ks3Co. It wouldve been 1964. 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'. The Dr Hicks who ran the black-market adoptions had a son who became a dentist. Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok. Maybe hes out there and will search for you. Quietly, because the clinic he'd been running since the mid-1940s was not a licensed adoption agency. After years of wondering about her birth family, will Diane finally have closure? Not to mention the fact that some of these birth mothers thought their babies DIED! He lied to those women whether they wanted their children or not. There is absolutely NO defense for that.He treated these babies like they were nothing more than a puppy mill money making machine. The story broke across the U.S. in 1997 when an Akron woman named Jane Blasio learned that her parents bought her from a clinic in Georgia. She named him Von Gordon. 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. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. 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. Dr. Hicks was a town doctor who performed illegal abortions. He was protecting himself due to his many illegitimacies & looking out for his own financial interest!!! Has your family done any dna tests like 23andme or ancestry? Learn how three Hicks babies were able to find biological family using DNA. As a result, he could not provide information that would help the babies find their parents or the other way around.4. 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. Is like $10,000. He died at age 83 in 1972 of leukemia, according to Appalachian History. I do hope your brother survived and is out there somewhere. To protect their privacy, I have chosen not to mention any of the individuals who were adopted by name in this article. How is the river any worse, I ask you? Instead, he illegally sold the babies for approximately $800 to $1,000 each.1. Just keeping an RN on duty, even in the 1950s -60s, was a big expense. I am watching the TV documentary on Dr. Hicks and do not believe he should be so vilified. Dr. Hicks was married and had two children, a son and a daughter. saying the baby was stillborn could have been nothing more than a cover story for them. She did tell me she heard her baby cry and Dr Hicks told her he was still born. Because the adoptions were illegal and their birth certificate were forged, there are no records of their biological parents which would allow them to find their origins. Once they have grouped their DNA matches in to several groups, they can study the descendants of the ancestors to find where they connect to each other. To date, seven of the biological mothers have come forward. He was arrested for performing illegal abortions in 1964. 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 . Please! Autosomal DNA tests, such as Ancestry DNA, 23andMe, My Heritage, and Family Tree DNA, offer extensive DNA match lists. Jane needs to get a DNA test and compare it to Doris Abernathy, the town historian. How Did Hicks Black Market Babies Business Work? Some of the ads and links on this website are affiliate links which pay me a commission if you purchase through them. 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. I owe my life to him, but he has also been the cause of so much pain and suffering. I am happy to offer a dna sample if possible. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. My name is Judy Swafford Walker. Appalachian History says his daughter is still alive and living in North Carolina. That is crazy! Hicks performed illegal abortions in the 1950s and 1960s, along with the illegal adoptions, until he faced legal troubles in 1964 for the abortions. Were it not for him encouraging these women to have their babies, these children would have never been given a chance at life. One twin has not been found yet but the one that was found was adopted into a horrible family and had a really sad childhood. Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206086779/margaret-mary-brown, Samuel Ernest Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Ketron, John William Hicks, Unknown Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson, Anna Laura Bradley (born Hicks), David Fleming Hicks, Mary Louise Hicks (born Holt), Samuel Earnest Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Hicks, John William Hicks, Unknown Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson (born Hicks), Annie Laurie Hicks, 1910 - Civil District 10, Sullivan, Tennessee, USA, Lucy E Hicks, Carrie E Hicks, Laura A 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, Oct 18 1888 - Orebank, Sullivan, Tennessee, United States, Mar 5 1972 - Copperhill, Polk, Tennessee, United States, Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Jr, Walter Lynn Hicks, Margaret Mary Brown (born Hicks), uel Ernest Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Ketron (born Hicks), John William Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson (born Hicks), Anna Laura Bradley (born Hicks), Thomas J Jr Hicks, W Lynn Hicks, Margaret Hicks, Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/86371930/carrie-ellen-dickson, Bloomington, Pickett County, Tennessee, USA, Crestlawn Cemetery, Polk County, Tennessee, USA, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9119259/thomas-jugarthy-hicks, https://www.geni.com/projects/SmartCopy/18783. Labor was induced at 31-34 weeks (based on the birth weight of the survivors). What Dr Hicks did was illegal. The so-called Hicks Babies had falsified birth certificates, and Dr Hicks kept no records tying them to their biological families. Many came forward after their adoptive families said they were from the Hicks clinic. 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.. Babies were handed out to them through the door or window. Would love your thoughts, please comment. What he provided were lies to young mothers and fathers who wanted their babies ! He gave them good care. 1997. My Dad was a black-market baby in 1941 in Akron OH. 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: . Does it say where he was born or the name of the doctor? After watching this documentary I can see how he got away with it for so long. My Hicks line starts in New York in 1833. In the documentary they have a positive match for Dr Hicks fathering one of the babies. If it was a black-market clinic, there probably arent any records of the transaction. 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. The illegal adoptions came to an end in 1964, when Hicks was caught performing illegal abortions. Facebook What's additionally staggering is it's believed that more than 200 infants, known as the "Hicks Babies," were victims of the doctor's scheme during the '50s and '60s. Jane Blasio, who broke the story of the Hicks Babies and leads investigative efforts, wrote her thoughts about Hicks on her website. He delivered my oldest brother. His clinic, the Hicks Clinic, was in operation between about 1945-1965. Not a mother who wanted to give her baby up for adoption, but a mother who trusted her doctor? It is suspected that many of them did and there is rumor that perhaps he disposed of those little bodies in the river. According to ABC News, Dr. Hicks convinced a few of these young moms to keep the babies and put them up in a hotel in town until they gave birth. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is the "bad guy" featured in a three-part docuseries titled Taken At Birth. 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. 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 If shes still alive and knows shes adopted, she may be looking for you using DNA. He surrendered his Georgia medical license to halt his prosecution.2. I personally think he is a sociopath and I wonder if he could have been a Serial Killer as well. They should at least be thankful that they werent aborted. Taken at Birth TrueStory https://t.co/E14faD7AFT pic.twitter.com/cXOtajC4yQ, Sugar Mummy (@findsugarmummy) October 9, 2019. Hicks was forced to give up his medical license in 1964 after being charged with performing illegal abortions, and he died in 1972 at the age of 83. Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks I wondering how far the rabbit hole goes with him. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I am helping a relative looking for his birth parents or siblings. Blasio knew she was adopted at a young age. They may not even know theyre adopted. And in 1972, Hicks died at age 83. He induced labor and delivered low birth weight babies that were in danger of dying. I would love to be able to find him or maybe some of his family. I think, at first, it was under the table, and then he had seen there was money involved. My heart breaks for your mama and for your whole family. About 15 of the 200+ babies have been reunited with their biological parents. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. I can promise you this, if theres a hell, he is in the front row seat! i hope everything gets better for those kids and those parents. What part of that is okay? To have an unequivocal reference sample for any other Hicks children who want to know their origins. 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. 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 You can follow their life-changing stories in a three-night series, Taken at Birth, airing October 9th-11th, 2019, on TLC and some streaming platforms. First of all, it was a small town clinic and back then it was not unheard of for any woman in a small town to go to a clinic to deliver their baby so to say hes some kind of hero for what he did is beyond disgusting. ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN WERE MESSED UP FROM THIS. They were all corrupt! Just one grandparent can lead you to many This is a story of a doctor who saved lives?? 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.