Shame on him and all those who covered for him and his horrific lies. I cannot imagine being one of these babies. The Dr Hicks who ran the black-market adoptions had a son who became a dentist. Barbara, the very same thing happened to my Mother. 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. in todays market he did make money, he also induced those women into early labor to push those babies out putting the babies and mothers in jeopardy(I wonder how many died). My Dad was a black-market baby in 1941 in Akron OH. Investigators opened the mausoleum, searching for records of the illegal adoptions, but found it was empty. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn more about yourself. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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'. 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. Their lower-priced test is fine for your purposes. She was 23. Dr Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Have you checked the adoption registries to see if hes looking for his biological family? Im going to play a little devils advocate. Some birth mothers knew they were placing a baby for adoption, some thought they had an abortion, and some were told their infants died. https://thednageek.com/dna-tests. Jane Blasio, who broke the story of the Hicks Babies and leads investigative efforts, wrote her thoughts about Hicks on her website. More than 200 babies, known as the "Hicks Babies," were. Expand. The primary purpose of this post is to explain how those children who were adopted through the Hicks Clinic have been able to use their DNA to discover close relatives, and sometimes, the identities of their biological parents. But lets be honest, no one is going to admit that they willingly sold their baby. Both of Dr. Hicks' parents were born in Tennessee. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Many of the Hicks babies also began searching for their biological families. Several in the town told the outlet the story was sensationalized. Love and hugs to them all! They look exactly alike. He ran the Hicks Community Clinic and offered his services to poor copper mining families. I only wish Mama had lived long enough to know her baby is most likely alive. Women came to have abortions and he told them it was a successful procedure, only to take that premature baby and sell it to someone. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Holy smokes! You have several options when it comes to learning about your DNA, KnowYourDNA is the best source for finding all things related to DNA. I am watching the TV documentary on Dr. Hicks and do not believe he should be so vilified. You gotta wonder if this was a routine operation throughout history. Dr Hicks told some of the mothers that their babies died, then he sold them. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. The judge discovered records showing an unusual number of women visiting Hicks clinic. Blasio knew she was adopted at a young age. Husband of Chassie Hicks They can arrange a meeting if a match shows up and both sides want to meet. I dont know the truth, the people involved back THEN know. When they opened it up there was great excitement. i come from to sides of a family that are both messed up. Both of Dr. Hicks parents were born in Tennessee. Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. There was no reason not to dig up his grave. Are you on drugs. Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. And then today, with abortions being legal, aborted babies are having their body parts SOLD what a repugnant thought. Are you in all of the DNA databases? pic.twitter.com/3dg3CRes3u. $1000 was not a tremendous amount of money when you think about the birth mothers room and board for one month (they had no money, they paid nothing) prior to the birth, plus 24 hr a day Nursing care. We could be related. I just wanted to say I watch this show about a little girl. 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/. He also delivered the babies early, between 31 & 34 wks causing them to have low birthweight and health issues. He died at age 83 in 1972 of leukemia, according to Appalachian History. Town Secret Is Uncovered In Birth Quest. Did your mother give birth in Akron or in McCaysville? Think about it, some of these folks could fall in love with a relative and not even know it. There were cases where Hicks talked women out of abortion. Dr Harshi Dhingra is a licensed medical doctor with a specialization in Pathology. There was a tip-off, though. He delivered my oldest brother. But many aspects of his clinic remain a mystery to this day. He is monster!! THIS POOR WOMAN THOUGHT HER TWIN BOYS HAD DIED. . I understand the concept of not being able to conceive and being grateful to receive a child but that was not a win/win situation by any stretch of the imagination. How many women died themselves never knowing that they had a child or children out there and how many children, now adults, will never know their biological parents because its just too late and most of them have passed? In addition, he did serve time in jail in Tennessee for illegally dispensing narcotics in the 1940s. You can see for yourself google him. 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. 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. 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. If he is out there and looking he may have tried the dna route. The man that is Dr.Hicks first stolen, one of the twins. The Hicks babies were babies sold by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks to different families. What is the Levant DNA Region on Ancestry. 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. Several of the Hicks Babies found the mausoleum was vandalized when they paid a visit in 2018. 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. Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. So no, I cant completely vilify as I just dont know. He delivered many babies in Tennessee before they ran him out of the state. Most people whose recent ancestors were born in the United States will find that their DNA match lists include people who are related to them at a distance of 2nd-3rd cousins. He induced births, told mothers their babies died and sold them! Now fast forward 50 years, memories are skewed, you feel differently now, maybe you wish things were different. Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, the man behind the Hicks Babies, ran a small clinic in the tiny town of McCaysville, Georgia. 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. She assumed it was a legal adoption until he told her otherwise. Tune in to #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, starting TONIGHT at 9/8c. This is a different story than what I expected! Thats a totally twisted way of thinking!!! I know this first hand because of how it deeply hurt my mother for many, many years! Many of the Hicks babies were able to do DNA testing as part of the TV show. With the judges help, she learned that the clinic sold babies while they were still open. That seems to be a repetitive theme amongst the living relatives. It is in Gods hands. Mama told me they ran the doctor out of Tennessee after that because he was killing so many babies. She did not go to him for an abortion or to give her baby away. Hicks was providing a service, Ken Rush, director of the Ducktown Basin Museum, told Narratively. The story is told on Taken at Birth. I think, at first, it was under the table, and then he had seen there was money involved. Theyre an invaluable resource for parentage searches. He was inducing them around 30 weeks handing out 4lb babies to people. Its time the truth came to light. It can sometimes be more difficult to pinpoint the exact identify of someones biological parents without closer cousins, such as first cousins. but i can't find me any where an i don't know if the people that raised. There are stories that even suggest that some mothers were told that their babies did not survive at birth. I have hicks show up in my DNA results. 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. 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. A sick, twisted & greedy man. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. 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. If you havent been there, you cannot possibly imagine what that is like. Women who wanted abortions would be talked into keeping the pregnancy so he could sell the baby once it arrived. Our filters are much different than the ones from that period of time. If it wasnt Hicks, there was someone doing the same thing during the war years adopting babies out to Akron. Otherwise he wouldnt have needed to lie about them being stillborn. I had a brother who was given up for adoption by his mother in Tennessee. Thomas Hicks was a well-respected doctor in the small town of McCaysville, Georgia. He was wrong and he did wrong so did the mayor and chief of police. Thank you so much. ABC News, accessed 17 September 2019. 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 horrible! I still dont know, one of the Hicks Babies, Melinda, told the publication. 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. 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? Have you taken a DNA test? 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. He told some of the biological mothers that they had undergone an abortion. Buying or selling A CHILDTHERE IS EVERYTHING WRONG WITH THAT! I was waiting for one mother to come on and say that they were told that their baby had died, but nope. Her only health problem was asthma. Were it not for him encouraging these women to have their babies, these children would have never been given a chance at life. In the 1950s and 60s a small-town Georgia family doctor illegally sold hundreds of babies from the back door of his practice. Cock being laughed at each time someone ask his name. now that im older and i actually understand what happened i think its horrible. 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. Blasio first traveled to McCaysville in 1988 to search for her birth mother. Blasio says that 50 of the 200+ children have been identified and located. Bruen, Matthew Steven. Theres probably a lot of dead babies because of his practices. However, many people are able to discover closer relatives, like aunts and uncles or even half-siblings, through DNA testing. 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. If you have any questions about something that you read in this post, please join in the discussion below. Exactly! I hope you guys can find what your looking for. Hicks may not have been in Georgia during that time, but if he was in TN that might be a lead. To give Sallie an answer. "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. He is buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. Babies For Sale: The Secret Adoptions That Haunt One Georgia Town. In a small town filled with economical hardships, Hicks saw a need among pregnant women, although abortions conflicted with his faith, according to Narratively. But not all of the babies have been reunited. His forged birth certificates did not list biological parents. 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. My Hicks line starts in New York in 1833. This is how this group of babies, who are now all grown up, came to be called Hicks Babies. I do truly feel for the Hicks babies for not knowing; I know that must be hard. Many are still trying to find their biological relatives. They were all corrupt! Father of Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr; Dr Walter Lynn Hicks and Private I owe my life to him, but he has also been the cause of so much pain and suffering. We dont know anything about the adults he has seen. Narratively, accessed 17 September 2019. Blasio and 200 others were taken from their mothers at birth in the 1950s and '60s and sold illegally on the black market out the back door of a clinic run by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks. I personally think he is a sociopath and I wonder if he could have been a Serial Killer as well. What Was the Immigration Process at Ellis Island Like? Ray, you bring up an excellent reason why everyone has the right to know who their biological family is. Quietly, because the clinic he'd been running since the mid-1940s was not a licensed adoption agency. Never has been black market babies, she told WKYC. He also has a granddaughter who is sympathetic to the efforts of the Hicks Babies. It wouldve been 1964. I hope youre able to solve your case soon. I have had two of my children die. Clearly, you have never lost a child. Wow! I know abortion was illegal at the time, and then I think he was running into people who couldnt afford adoptions, he told the New York Post. As I say, not perfect, but a good man, Doris Abernathy told WKYC. Dr. Thomas Hicks died of leukemia, a type of blood cancer. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. The good Dr told the mother they were still born. Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok. TLC DNA ancestry testing offers a way for people interested in family history (genealogy) to, Our Verdict: My reports from GPS Origins arent nearly as comprehensive as the ones, FamilyTreeDNA has tons of features and information that you wont get with most of, There are plenty of cheap DNA tests you can purchase if you want to, The offerings from each DNA testing service vary wildly, so it can be difficult. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is the "bad guy" featured in a three-part docuseries titled Taken At Birth. 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. Leave a message for others who see this profile. Interesting. My decision is there was something very wrong going on. All of Dr. Hicks grandparents were born in Tennessee, as were many of his great-grandparents. He gave them good care. He lied to those women whether they wanted their children or not. Does it say where he was born or the name of the doctor? They adored Dr Hicks and were fiercely protective of his reputation and legacy. Hed encourage them to put their babies up for adoption instead. Blasio confirmed with the county birth records that she was likely one of the hundreds of babies sold between 1950 and 1965.2. 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. And he gave the babies to equally desperate childless parents. He let loose some real chaos into this world.. Hicks was performing abortions long before Roe. Dr Hicks sold over 200 babies from his clinic in McCaysville during the 50s and 60s Credit: YouTube. Thank you. I did see it just yesterday. He was born October 18, 1888. Dr. Hicks, who passed away at the age of 83, was born in 1888 in Picket County, Tennessee. Categories: Fannin County, Georgia | McCaysville, Georgia | Hicks Clinic, McCaysville, Georgia, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. For perspective, $1000 in 1950 is equal to about $10,900 in todays dollars. These folks deserve to know where they came from! Some on here commented that the bio moms were likely unwed and didnt want the babies. (@Angel5Christine) October 8, 2019. Mama named my brother Von Gordon. You are absolutely correct in your assumption. This is a story of a doctor who saved lives?? Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. We will never know the hell they have suffered. Test prices are here: https://thednageek.com/dna-tests/ 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. There is no evidence that any of the babies that were adopted through the actions of Dr. Hicks are related to him. 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! His daughter is living in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. Learn how three Hicks babies were able to find biological family using DNA. Dr. Hicks is horrible. "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 Dr. Hicks created fake birth certificates and listed the adoptive parents as biological parents. Im sorry but thats a totally twisted way of thinking in my view!! pic.twitter.com/aTH43ks3Co. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Have you heard the story of Dr. Hicks? Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Moves to NE Ohio and then to Michigan from 1868 to this day. She named him Von Gordon. Some babies were that small but not all of them. That is not correct. I can empathize because of some similarities, but I cannot fully understand. It was discovered that Dr. Thomas J. Hicks had been selling newborns from the small-town facility's backdoor for $1000. Brother of Lucy Elizabeth Ketron; John Willie Hicks; Samuel Earnest Hicks; Infant Daughter Hicks and Carrie Ellen Dickson. Personally I hope that Dr Hicks is burning in hell! me are my real parents or not as i am finding out not every thing they told me about family is real. If there was no demand for the service, Hicks would not have been doing it. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. Autosomal DNA tests, such as Ancestry DNA, 23andMe, My Heritage, and Family Tree DNA, offer extensive DNA match lists. 2019. The series tells the story of a man that stole over 200 babies and sold them on the black market. Read our best DNA test page to find the best one for you. And youve had children with them??? What an awful tragedy. 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. 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 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.. Blasio has dedicated her life to helping reunite Hicks Babies with their biological families. I believe that he provided a valuable service, giving women an alternative, giving a baby a chance at life, giving a couple a chance to be parents. Dr. Hicks served as a town doctor in McCaysville, Ga., and was known for performing abortions, which were illegal at the time. This type of adoption is just one way that many babies are adopted through illegal, black market adoptions. The reason I am writing is this. Appalachian History, accessed 17 September 2019. i am interested in the hicks babies i supposely had a brother who died in the early 1950s i would like to know if he is still alive, DNA geek, 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. Melinda, of the Hicks Babies, I have a missing, supposedly deceased infant sister, born in supposedly michigan in 1967, 1968 or 1969. She carried him to full term and went to Dr Hicks to deliver her baby! Some of those in his town defend his actions, according to Narratively, saying he was providing a service. He also told the mothers that their babies died, gave them death certificates but then sold the baby out the back door for $1000. He induced birth prematurely to make money. He surrendered his Georgia medical license to halt his prosecution.2. 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. In 1964, the town sheriff arrested Hicks for performing illegal abortions. When Dr. Hicks began his illicit practice, abortions were illegal in the United States, Phil Trexler wrote in the article. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. This was rural Appalachia in the 50s and 60s, a lot of poor families. The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column.