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. I am watching the TV documentary on Dr. Hicks and do not believe he should be so vilified. These types of adoptions can cause extra hurt for families, since they were financial incentives, coercion is often a factor, documents dont exist to help adoptees locate their biological families, and lies are often told to protect the adults involved in the illegal adoption. Hicks lied, blatantly, to some of these women, hell probably 90% of them. Many of those from Hicks small town defended his actions. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. Many of the Hicks babies also began searching for their biological families. 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. Dr Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Ignorance is a terrible thing smh!!!! He died at age 83 in 1972 of leukemia, according to Appalachian History. Im so sorry for your familys loss. 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. Busted not for selling babies, but for the abortion clinic. Blasio first traveled to McCaysville in 1988 to search for her birth mother. She always thought she had a boy out there somewhere. Jane Blasio, The Hicks Baby Who Broke the Black Market Baby Adoption Case: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. This is a different story than what I expected! Mama said they ran him out of Tennessee not long after that because he was killing so many babies. Just recently I have been confirmed to be the last of the Hicks babies. When families came to his clinic to adopt babies, Hicks made the women pretend they had just given birth. Hicks ancestor immigrated from England to Plymouth Colony in 1621 Why dig up a grave when dna could have given these people the answer if they were siblings? I was warned about ever asking those questions again, this man said I know who you are, please let it alone. Dr Hicks induced some babies early, and they would have been put in incubators had then been born that early today. Dr. Hicks was married and had two children, a son and a daughter. Hi, the category is just Category:McCaysville, Georgia. Some birth mothers knew they were placing a baby for adoption, some thought they had an abortion, and some were told their infants died. He delivered my oldest brother. Curiously, Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is not buried in a mausoleum that bears his name, but beside it. It can sometimes be more difficult to pinpoint the exact identify of someones biological parents without closer cousins, such as first cousins. I have had two of my children die. My mother grieved for her baby the rest if her life! If it wasnt Hicks, there was someone doing the same thing during the war years adopting babies out to Akron. The illegal adoptions stopped in 1964 when Hicks . Jane Blasio, who broke the story of the Hicks Babies and leads investigative efforts, wrote her thoughts about Hicks on her website. Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. TLC's Taken at Birth, which first aired in 2019, is a three-part . Those who were adopted have few places to turn to track down their origins. 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. pic.twitter.com/77eyWNLdHM. Im sorry but thats a totally twisted way of thinking in my view!! 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. John Stapleton, another one of the Hicks Babies, said he did not think Hicks started in the business for profit. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3186644/Adopted-woman-51-SO Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr worked as Physician. More than 200 babies, known as the "Hicks Babies," were. What an awful tragedy. He was married to a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. You saw it. 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. You should be ashamed of yourself because you have no idea of the pain he caused many families! Some were children of women Hicks convinced not to have abortions. The biological mother was not mentioned, and there was no court record or other official document connecting the babies to their biological parents. Just horrible! 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. The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. She was 23. Dr. Hicks died of leukemia in 1972 at the age of 83. Blasio confirmed with the county birth records that she was likely one of the hundreds of babies sold between 1950 and 1965.2. Dr Hicks ran a clinic in McCaysville, Georgia, from about 1945 to 1965. I know your heart aches. 2019. Prior to that, he was practicing just across the state line in Copperhill, Tennessee, and could well have been selling babies then. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - Genealogy - geni family tree 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. I do truly feel for the Hicks babies for not knowing; I know that must be hard. He induced birth prematurely to make money. Categories Searching for Biological Family. Her only health problem was asthma. Read our best DNA test page to find the best one for you. One of those babies he delivered in Tennessee was my oldest brother who was supposedly still born. The adopted child or biological mother can call and provide information about their gender and birthdate. I have so many thoughts racing through my mind. Its time the truth came to light. 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. If there was no demand for the service, Hicks would not have been doing it. I know this first hand because of how it deeply hurt my mother for many, many years! Hicks was providing a service, Ken Rush, director of the Ducktown Basin Museum, told Narratively. Have you checked the adoption registries to see if hes looking for his biological family? We dont know anything about the adults he has seen. ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN WERE MESSED UP FROM THIS. Furthermore, over 200 babies! discoveries. Dr. Thomas Hicks' Death: How Did the Doctor Die? | Heavy.com Blasio has dedicated her life to helping reunite Hicks Babies with their biological families. "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. My Hicks line starts in New York in 1833. I can attest to the fact that some of the mothers were married (yes, to the biological fathers) at the time their infants were sold. 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. Clickherefor more information. Several of the Hicks Babies found the mausoleum was vandalized when they paid a visit in 2018. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. Clearly, you have never lost a child. He was born October 18, 1888. After years of wondering about her birth family, will Diane finally have closure? Despite the obstacles, the investigative team - with the blessing and cooperation of the Hicks Babies community - works tirelessly to try and bring answers to the families impacted by Dr. Hicks' actions, from conventional DNA searches and door-to-door interrogations, to a mausoleum search. However, many people are able to discover closer relatives, like aunts and uncles or even half-siblings, through DNA testing. I have my ancestory DNA done and would love to try to match some names with my DNA relatives. This was rural Appalachia in the 50s and 60s, a lot of poor families. There is no evidence that any of the babies that were adopted through the actions of Dr. Hicks are related to him. I grew up with this story from my grandfather when i was little. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. My brother was born in the middle 1930s. Many are still trying to find their biological relatives. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. Appalachian History says his daughter is still alive and living in North Carolina. 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. Mama never got over this. 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. You dont want to vilify him? If it was a black-market clinic, there probably arent any records of the transaction. This is how this group of babies, who are now all grown up, came to be called Hicks Babies. This is the process by which it was alleged to have worked: The doctor would advertise adoption services and prenatal care, in addition to care related to the termination of pregnancies, in the local community and surrounding areas. They were all corrupt! You are right, Dr Hicks was an evil man. Thomas Hicks was a well-respected doctor in the small town of McCaysville, Georgia. If he is out there and looking he may have tried the dna route. Dr Hicks told some of the mothers that their babies died, then he sold them. The story is told on Taken at Birth. Such an evil man to cause such heart ache! 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. Autosomal DNA tests, such as Ancestry DNA, 23andMe, My Heritage, and Family Tree DNA, offer extensive DNA match lists. It turned into a business. Starting in 1955 and running through the early 1960s, Hicks offered secretive abortions and adoptions here. 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 . She grieved for him her entire life! Those who were adopted have few places to turn to track down their origins. 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. Yes he had a choice he just made the wrong one for greed!! I am helping a relative looking for his birth parents or siblings. His name would have been Von Gordon Prince. He also has a living granddaughter named Sally Sompayrac. There are always three sides to any story: One side, the other side, and the truth (which is usually somewhere in between). Oh well for them, I was raised in those mountains and Im not afraid of them. She named him Von Gordon. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The world is full of possibilities, and you are amazing! He gave them good care. Hicks Baby Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother. Somehow I missed this Documentary the first time it aired. Perhaps your dad was referring to the equipment used to save preemies. Thank you! You made your decision. 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. They werent all there for abortions!! Hicks was performing abortions long before Roe. What is the Egypt DNA Region on Ancestry? Same ears, chin/jaw line, nose, and eyes. AND IN ALL ACTUALITY HICKS LIED TO HER TO GET HER TWIN BOYS AND MADE OVER 2000 OFF OF HER PAIN. I hope youre able to solve your case soon. i hope everything gets better for those kids and those parents. My Dad was a black-market baby in 1941 in Akron OH. What Happened to Dr. Thomas Hicks? I have hicks show up in my DNA results. He buried them for her (such a nice guy) and gave her a birth certificate stating they were stillborn. 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. People, accessed 17 September 2019. Blasio also created a confidential registry to help Hicks babies find their parents and siblings. Thank you. 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. 1997. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - Genealogy Genealogy for Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Buying or selling A CHILDTHERE IS EVERYTHING WRONG WITH THAT! HIS BIO FAMILY DIDNT FIND OUT ABT HIM UNTIL 60 YEARS LATER AND TOO LATE BECAUAE HIS MOTHER WAS I ALREADY DEAD. Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks When she woke she only had one baby. 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. 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 This is how those who were adopted can identify the parents or grandparents of their biological parents. To protect their privacy, I have chosen not to mention any of the individuals who were adopted by name in this article. 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. I was born in 1967. He lied to many and told them their babies died! His forged birth certificates did not list biological parents. Hed encourage them to put their babies up for adoption instead. You people have no idea how many states/commonwealths this Hicks was in., he was known in the mountains of Pa as Hickscock. There was no reason not to dig up his grave. He sold those babies for a profit. Natalie. Tune in to #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, starting TONIGHT at 9/8c. She said the whole time she was having the babies that there was a very nice dressed lady sitting in the room across the hall from her. 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. 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. In next week's column, this family's lineage will be continued with the family and history of Samuel Hicks (2). His Georgia clinic was located only a short distance away from his previous practice in Tennessee right across the border. She worked with TLCs Long Lost Family to locate biological family members. 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? He surrendered his Georgia medical license to halt his prosecution.2. In this post, learn who the Hicks Babies are, how they got their name, and how some of them are using DNA to discover their biological origins. GOOD NIGHT DEAD DAD, GOOD NIGHT GOOD NIGHT. 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. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Sr (1888-1972) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree 'Taken At Birth': Dr. Thomas J. Hicks & Stolen Babies [2021 Update] Stories of young girls dying from botched abortions in the early 50s still exist in the living memories of those from the region. That doesnt mean that my heart doesnt break for the pain that these people have gone through and continue to go through. She hopes DNA testing will enable them to find their birth parents. Until Mother's Day 1997, when his adoptions were exposed. That $1000. Powered by. There is absolutely NO defense for that.He treated these babies like they were nothing more than a puppy mill money making machine. At least one Hicks baby submitted his DNA to Ancestry.com and found a half-sister. She noted to the TV station many of them went to good homes and led successful lives. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. How HEARTLESS can someone be then to tell a parent their childTHEIR CHILD died just so he could profit? Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. Absolutely horrifying!!!!! Did you like this post? 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 then relocated just across the line in McCaysville Georgia. is anything else your are looking? 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. He would then sell those babies, for prices as high as $1000, to couples who wanted to adopt. Dr Harshi Dhingra is a licensed medical doctor with a specialization in Pathology. Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. Barbara, the very same thing happened to my Mother. 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. She was 6 years old when her adoptive father sat her down about it. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. Some babies were that small but not all of them. i was told i was born in raymond wa. saying the baby was stillborn could have been nothing more than a cover story for them. His work remained buried as well. 4. Dr. Hicks was a town doctor who performed illegal abortions. 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. 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. Well he and Alannas birth father very similar. He would sell the babies to parents who wanted to adopt but couldnt afford to do so legally. Hicks was the beloved town doctor in the tiny mountain town of McCaysville, but women came from miles around to seek his services. You really have no idea what you are talking about! The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - Genealogy - geni family tree Theres probably a lot of dead babies because of his practices. He was her first born and she said she heard him cry yet Dr Hicks told her he was still born. He died in 1972 and it took three decades before Hicks' actions were brought to light. Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. THE ONE FAMILY HAD TWIN BOYS AND THE MAN WAS IN A FAMILY THAT HATED HIM HIS ENTIRE LIFE. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. This type of adoption is just one way that many babies are adopted through illegal, black market adoptions. He took HUGE risks for essentially very little in return, in fact he did lose his medical license in 1964 for performing an abortion. If he was truly compassionate and a good man he would not have lied to the mothers and told them they delivered a stillborn baby or that the baby died. We will never know the hell they have suffered. So all of what you said is ridiculous. 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. Barbara, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Who Are the Hicks Babies? - Who are You Made Of? A fake birth certificate was produced, listing the adoptive parents as the parents of the child. But there was nothing in it. Busted not for selling babies, but for the abortion clinic I agree that in those cases he did the right thing, but everything else he did was just horrible! I think he was a good man. Login to find your connection. McCaysville, which is located in the southern Appalachian Mountains right on the Georgia border with Tennessee, was shocked to hear that their beloved town doctor, Dr. Hicks, was accused of arranging illegal adoptions, and even selling babies, for parents wanting to adopt. Im sure there are also many, many Hicks babies out there that have no idea they are Hicks babies. It is possible that deaths like these convinced Dr. Hicks that something needed to be done.. What he did to all of those families was very wrong. And youve had children with them??? And he was more than happy to perform abortions. Learn how your comment data is processed. The news captivated many outside McCaysville. i never thought it was real when i was little either. TLC's 'Taken at Birth' Investigates Black Market Adoption Ring - People New York Times, accessed 17 September 2019. My Mama and Dad were married and biological parents to my brother. They were not, and he sold those babies. She grieved her the rest of her life for her first born son. You have several options when it comes to learning about your DNA, KnowYourDNA is the best source for finding all things related to DNA. There were cases where Hicks talked women out of abortion. 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. For him to lie to these women is unforgivable. TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. 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? It includes a handout, plenty of time for questions and discussion, and access to the recording for 2 weeks. The story has been featured in many TV specials, including on TLCs, Taken At Birth, which originally aired in 2019. He was born in April 1964 Sumner County TN from what he knows. There were mothers who were told their babies died. Janice, I am from Polk County Tennessee as well and Dr Hicks delivered my oldest brother before they ran him out of Tennessee. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. So for that reason, I think were putting too much faith in these womens stories. 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. 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). He induced births, told mothers their babies died and sold them! Remember that these women had no where else to go, no one to turn to. He induced labor and delivered low birth weight babies that were in danger of dying. The birth certificates Ive seen were in the 6-7 lb range. Investigators opened the mausoleum, searching for records of the illegal adoptions, but found it was empty.

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