These babies were later sold to adoptive families. Yes, thats a horrible thought. 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 . Hicks initially lost his clinic for doing illicit abortions. I am wondering if any possible hicks babies that have not found relatives has DNA done? I was waiting for one mother to come on and say that they were told that their baby had died, but nope. It includes a handout, plenty of time for questions and discussion, and access to the recording for 2 weeks. If he is out there and looking he may have tried the dna route. Genealogy for Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Taken at Birth: The Hicks Clinic Stolen Babies - A&E True Crime Barbara, the very same thing happened to my Mother. I have been advised by a man named Bill Miller from Cleveland Ohio that I was a Hicks baby but cannot find out if this is true. 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. Please! Those who were adopted have few places to turn to track down their origins. Personally I hope that Dr Hicks is burning in hell! ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN WERE MESSED UP FROM THIS. His name would have been Von Gordon Prince. When she woke she only had one baby. Narratively, accessed 17 September 2019. On the documentary the officer in the second episode claimed he gave a relative of his a shot and she died 30min later. It was Mother's Day of 1997 when Reymann saw a story in the Akron Beacon Journal featuring the story of Jane Blasio who had discovered she had been illegally sold as an infant for $1,000 from a clinic run by Dr. Thomas Hicks in McCaysville, Ga. some three decades earlier. How Did People Find Out About the Hicks Babies? They look exactly alike. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. That $1000. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. 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? The Hicks Babies - The DNA Geek He was born in April 1964 Sumner County TN from what he knows. You saw it. Not a mother who wanted to give her baby up for adoption, but a mother who trusted her doctor? 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: . In the 1950s and 60s a small-town Georgia family doctor illegally sold hundreds of babies from the back door of his practice. Barbara, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. What part of that is okay? My heart breaks for your mama and for your whole family. It may be that I never find my brother but maybe I could find his children. 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. Before Doctor Hicks opened his practice in Georgia he was just across the state line in Polk County Tennessee in the 1930s. Hicks Baby Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother. . Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok. I am the youngest of seven siblings. 4. 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. So for that reason, I think were putting too much faith in these womens stories. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Facebook Test prices are here: https://thednageek.com/dna-tests/ A fake birth certificate was produced, listing the adoptive parents as the parents of the child. Expand. Has your family done any dna tests like 23andme or ancestry? In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. "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 Perhaps your dad was referring to the equipment used to save preemies. Many of the Hicks babies also began searching for their biological families. Hed do anything for anybody sometimes hed pay a price for it, she said. 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. You people have no idea how many states/commonwealths this Hicks was in., he was known in the mountains of Pa as Hickscock. The man that is Dr.Hicks first stolen, one of the twins. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. 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. This man told women that their babies had died or were stillborn. Who Are the Hicks Babies? - Who are You Made Of? Dr Thomas Hicks Family Tree Do You Know These Top Templates? For over 50 years this small town has been hiding a shocking secret. As a matter of fact she grieved the rest of her life for her first born she thought had died! "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (. The adopted child or biological mother can call and provide information about their gender and birthdate. 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. Theyre an invaluable resource for parentage searches. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - geni family tree. If it wasnt Hicks, there was someone doing the same thing during the war years adopting babies out to Akron. 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. She worked with TLCs Long Lost Family to locate biological family members. However, many people are able to discover closer relatives, like aunts and uncles or even half-siblings, through DNA testing. I have had two of my children die. 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. To push the boundaries of DNA science. To protect their privacy, I have chosen not to mention any of the individuals who were adopted by name in this article. 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. Corinthios, Aurelie. I agree that in those cases he did the right thing, but everything else he did was just horrible! Blasio says that 50 of the 200+ children have been identified and located. i am from polk county tenn we are trying to find if our brother danny is still alive we have learned 3 dead babies in my family it is interesting. She noted to the TV station many of them went to good homes and led successful lives. Dr. Hicks was married and had two kids a son and a daughter. They may not even know theyre adopted. 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. If it was a black-market clinic, there probably arent any records of the transaction. Mama told me they ran the doctor out of Tennessee after that because he was killing so many babies. My name is Judy Swafford Walker. One thousand dollars in 1955 would be nearly $10,000 today. Learn how three Hicks babies were able to find biological family using DNA. Are you nuts? 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. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. 1910 - Civil District 10, Sullivan, Tennessee, USA, Lucy E Hicks, Carrie E Hicks, Laura A Hicks, David Fleming Hicks, Mary Louise Hicks (born Holt), Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Jr, Walter Lynn Hicks, Margaret Mary Brown (born Hicks), est Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Ketron (born Hicks), John William Hicks, Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson (born Hicks), Anna Laura Bradley (born Hicks), Samuel Ernest Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Ketron, John William Hicks, Unknown Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson, Anna Laura Bradley (born Hicks), Samuel Earnest Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Hicks, John William Hicks, Unknown Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson (born Hicks), Annie Laurie Hicks, Lucy E Hicks, Carrie Ellen Hicks, Anna Laura Wisdom Bradley (born Hicks), Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Walter Lynn Hicks, Margaret Brown (born Hicks), Mary Edith Rogers Davis, Thomas J Jr Hicks, W Lynn Hicks, Margaret Hicks, Bloomingdale, Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States, Copperhill, Polk County, Tennessee, United States, Crestlawn, Polk County, Tennessee, United States. Use your brain, IF good old dr hicks was such a good doctor then why did he need to tell the women that their baby died?? 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. 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, I did see it just yesterday. was there more than one Dr. Hicks mentioned in the Taken AT Birth documentary or just one? Brother of Infant Daughter Hicks, U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI)Listed as Thomas HicksBirth: Oct 18 1888Death: Mar 1972Last residence: Copperhill, Tennessee 37317, USA, News report: [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3186644/Adopted-woman-51-SO]. But he didn't stop the illegal adoptions. Some theorized Hicks was buried beside his mausoleum because of concern the grave would be vandalized. Some of those in his town defend his actions, according to Narratively, saying he was providing a service. Labor was induced at 31-34 weeks (based on the birth weight of the survivors). 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. To have an unequivocal reference sample for any other Hicks children who want to know their origins. The illegal adoptions stopped in 1964 when Hicks . With that said, what we know, sounds evil, but that is based on times being much different. Dr Hicks sold over 200 babies from his clinic in McCaysville during the 50s and 60s Credit: YouTube. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. Many of those from Hicks small town defended his actions. 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. Apparently these women were seeking abortions, not babies. And he was more than happy to perform abortions. pic.twitter.com/3dg3CRes3u. Hicks lied, blatantly, to some of these women, hell probably 90% of them. Exactly! TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. Dr. Hicks died a disgrace in 1972, one year before the Roe v. Wade decision. 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. Im so sorry for your familys loss. These closer relatives can provide important clues that can help determine exactly which child descended from the grandparents (identified through the 2nd-3rd cousins) was likely the biological mother or father. 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. Then you missed the entirety of the story. 'Hicks baby' reunited with her birth mother and brother Aug 05, 2015 at 7:11 pm. He is buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. Why am I rehashing this. Many are still trying to find their biological relatives. She named him Von Gordon. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. 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. Never has been black market babies, she told WKYC. Our filters are much different than the ones from that period of time. pic.twitter.com/aTH43ks3Co. News, TLC Shows. Hicks was providing a service, Ken Rush, director of the Ducktown Basin Museum, told Narratively. 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)? Aside from families that might eventually tell their adult children, the only hope Hicks babies have of finding their biological relatives is DNA tracking. New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal. For him to lie to these women is unforgivable. Babies For Sale: The Secret Adoptions That Haunt One Georgia Town. 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. 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. 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. Hicks didnt oversee legal adoptions. Im sorry but thats a totally twisted way of thinking in my view!! Do you have your fathers original birth certificate? She was 23. 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. 23andMe is on sale right now. The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column. 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. thank you so much for the information danny has 5 sisters and 1 brother looking for him, Should anyone believe or just want to be a part of the DNA registry for The Nicks Babies..please visit us on our webpage (Hicks Adoptees), Thank You Table, Dave. Who Is Dr. Thomas J. Hicks? - The True Story Behind Taken At Birth And most of these women were likely unmarried, which was a huge no-no at the time. Ray, you bring up an excellent reason why everyone has the right to know who their biological family is. And he gave the babies to equally desperate childless parents. He may have done it to avoid suspicion and keep the transactions discreet. He was protecting himself & looking out for his own financial interest!!!