My heart breaks for your mama and for your whole family. He induced labor and delivered low birth weight babies that were in danger of dying. Thank you. PS Ancestry DNA is a crook. Well he and Alannas birth father very similar. 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. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. So for that reason, I think were putting too much faith in these womens stories. I think that you did well with pointing out that this is not on and well done. TLC The second would have been no later than 1962. Otherwise he wouldnt have needed to lie about them being stillborn. After watching this documentary I can see how he got away with it for so long. Genealogy for Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. That seems to be a repetitive theme amongst the living relatives. Many of those from Hicks small town defended his actions. She did tell me she heard her baby cry and Dr Hicks told her he was still born. At the very least, she helps them learn more about their birth stories and roots. I have had two of my children die. Dr. Hicks is horrible. How is the river any worse, I ask you? 2015. His wife and son both passed away, and his daughter lives in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. But there was nothing in it. Many came forward after their adoptive families said they were from the Hicks clinic. These babies were later sold to adoptive families. This man was worse than the plague! 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. I know your heart aches. 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. 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. Labor was induced at 31-34 weeks (based on the birth weight of the survivors). The same lecture is offered twiceNovember 1 and 2, 2022to accommodate schedules and time zones. Did you like this post? Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. The biological mother was not mentioned, and there was no court record or other official document connecting the babies to their biological parents. we do not know where these births occured most of our family is deceased. 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. I used AncestryDNA to solve all of the Hicks cases I worked on. However, many people are able to discover closer relatives, like aunts and uncles or even half-siblings, through DNA testing. 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. With the judges help, she learned that the clinic sold babies while they were still open. She worked with TLCs Long Lost Family to locate biological family members. 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. Not to mention the fact that some of these birth mothers thought their babies DIED! 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. 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. Are you nuts? Such an evil man to cause such heart ache! Some were children of women Hicks convinced not to have abortions. Her decade-long search for her birth parents led to the exposure of Hicks' illegal babies. To date, seven of the biological mothers have come forward. So yes he should be vilified! 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. ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN WERE MESSED UP FROM THIS. Oh well for them, I was raised in those mountains and Im not afraid of them. The Hicks babies were babies sold by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks to different families. If they were going to have an abortion like some people are saying then there would be absolutely no need to tell the moms that. $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. There are stories that even suggest that some mothers were told that their babies did not survive at birth. He sold at least one more baby after he was shut down. 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. On another point, Ive heard it said that Dr. Hicks disposed of aborted babies in the river. Taken at Birth TrueStory https://t.co/E14faD7AFT pic.twitter.com/cXOtajC4yQ, Sugar Mummy (@findsugarmummy) October 9, 2019. In a small town filled with economical hardships, Hicks saw a need among pregnant women, although abortions conflicted with his faith, according to Narratively. Despite the illegality of the abortions, Hicks would advertise the service at phone booths, bus stations and bridges, according to Appalachian History. This man told women that their babies had died or were stillborn. Dr. Hicks did lose his medical license in 1964 due to an infraction unrelated to the illegal adoptions. Women came to give birth, and were told their babies were stillborn! 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. My mother was soooo lucky compared to all of the hudreds of babies Hicks Babies. As I say, not perfect, but a good man, Doris Abernathy told WKYC. Ignorance is a terrible thing smh!!!! Quietly, because the clinic he'd been running since the mid-1940s was not a licensed adoption agency. She did NOT go to him for an abortion, she went to deliver MY BROTHER. We can tell ourselves stories, and they become our truths. She did not go to him for an abortion or to give her baby away. Ray, you bring up an excellent reason why everyone has the right to know who their biological family is. Has your family done any dna tests like 23andme or ancestry? I am by no means defending Dr Hicks black-market adoption practices, but its important to remember that, even today, people die from asthma attacks. What Happened to Dr. Thomas Hicks? Dr. Thomas J. Hicks died at age 83 on March 5, 1972, after a battle with leukemia. These werent all women seeking abortions, a number of these women were seeking medical care for themselves and their unborn babies only to be robbed of that precious life. Do you know how that can mentally affect a woman? 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 . He told women their babies had died when they hadnt. Many of the Hicks babies also began searching for their biological families. My dad moved us to New Mexico when I was in my early teens but I have a brother who stayed in Michigan. It was a horrible thing he did to my parents and the rest of us when he stole my oldest brother! Doctor Hicks was NO saint and we recognize his dysfunction, the pain he caused many, and have learned to bear it, she wrote. Husband of Chassie Hicks They werent all there for abortions!! Curiously, Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is not buried in a mausoleum that bears his name, but beside it. "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSZD-WWR: accessed 10 April 2021), Thos J Hicks in household of D Flem Hicks, Civil District 10, Sullivan, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 110, sheet 7A, family 118 So telling a mother that her baby died at birth while he sold it out his back door was fine with you? I do hope your brother survived and is out there somewhere. Natalie. I think he was a good man. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. "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. I can promise you this, if theres a hell, he is in the front row seat! My mother/father picked me up from a nurse in a hotel in 1967. You got a problem with that? If he does, youll want to be in whichever database he decides to use. Think about it, some of these folks could fall in love with a relative and not even know it. He was her first born and she said she heard him cry yet Dr Hicks told her he was still born. To have an unequivocal reference sample for any other Hicks children who want to know their origins. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. The story has been featured in many TV specials, including on TLCs, Taken At Birth, which originally aired in 2019. 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 The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. He did not have any choice but to lie on the birth certificates. He delivered many babies in Tennessee before they ran him out of the state. I grew up with this story from my grandfather when i was little. 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. survivors include his mother, diann loftice barker of mckinney; stepfather, don barker of mckinney; three brothers: billy loftice of princeton, ron and jasen loftice both of mckinney; two sisters: lisa murphy of culleoka, artie stone of princeton . 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. Thank you. I came from a messed up family, too. My husband and I said the same thing while watching this show! He gave them good care. 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. 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. "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. Her name is Alana honey boo boo if you dont know who she is you can google her. In 1964, the town sheriff arrested Hicks for performing illegal abortions. Mama told me they ran the doctor out of Tennessee after that because he was killing so many babies. Some on here commented that the bio moms were likely unwed and didnt want the babies. I am happy to offer a dna sample if possible. I hope you guys can find what your looking for. Facebook What he was doing in a lot of cases is absolutely wrong because of stuff like this. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. There were mothers who were told their babies died. 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. He was never formally charged with arranging these illegal adoptions, and for this reason, he never went to jail or faced legal consequences for his actions. Aside from families that might eventually tell their adult children, the only hope Hicks babies have of finding their biological relatives is DNA tracking. He let loose some real chaos into this world.. He states that he chased the car down the road from where hicks office was to try and get me before they took off in 1954. Some birth mothers knew they were placing a baby for adoption, some thought they had an abortion, and some were told their . Just one grandparent can lead you to many At-home DNA testing wasnt available until recently. 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. Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. Hicks Baby Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother. AND IN ALL ACTUALITY HICKS LIED TO HER TO GET HER TWIN BOYS AND MADE OVER 2000 OFF OF HER PAIN. 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. The illegal adoptions came to an end in 1964, when Hicks was caught performing illegal abortions. It can sometimes be more difficult to pinpoint the exact identify of someones biological parents without closer cousins, such as first cousins. Blasio says that 50 of the 200+ children have been identified and located. He also told the mothers that their babies died, gave them death certificates but then sold the baby out the back door for $1000. Hed ask them to put on a medical gown and lay down on a table. You dont want to vilify him? He induced births, told mothers their babies died and sold them! He was wrong and he did wrong so did the mayor and chief of police. Somehow I missed this Documentary the first time it aired. Dr Thomas Hicks Family Tree With Complete Detail, Goler Clan Family Tree Check All Members List. Have you taken a DNA test yourself? After I watched your show on TLC, I took a trip up to the mountains., looked the house that was HIckscock and made a big mistake when I asked some questions. Corinthios, Aurelie. Some of those in his town defend his actions, according to Narratively, saying he was providing a service. But many aspects of his clinic remain a mystery to this day. These women often came away from faraway places. I wondering how far the rabbit hole goes with him. Dr Hicks induced some babies early, and they would have been put in incubators had then been born that early today. Thanks, Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. I am currently fixing to do my own dna test. He took HUGE risks for essentially very little in return, in fact he did lose his medical license in 1964 for performing an abortion. HIS BIO FAMILY DIDNT FIND OUT ABT HIM UNTIL 60 YEARS LATER AND TOO LATE BECAUAE HIS MOTHER WAS I ALREADY DEAD. 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. She is a member of a Facebook groups which joins the Hicks babies. That son adopted Sallie, who was featured in the show. 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. My Mama and Daddy were young parents and though they were very poor they both wanted their first born with all their heart! Husband of Chass Chassie Hicks 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. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, a doctor was selling babies from his small town abortion clinic in the heart of McCaysville, Georgia. ABC News, accessed 17 September 2019. Stories of young girls dying from botched abortions in the early 50s still exist in the living memories of those from the region. Have you taken a DNA test? New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal. His forged birth certificates did not list biological parents. You have several options when it comes to learning about your DNA, KnowYourDNA is the best source for finding all things related to DNA. Babies were handed out to them through the door or window. Dr Hicks quickly hushed the nurse and gave my grandma something to make her sleep. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. Copyright 2023 Who are You Made Of? Interesting. Holy smokes! And he was stealing babies telling mothers that they delivered a still born. Several in the town told the outlet the story was sensationalized. He was married and had three children. 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 My parents were a young married couple and very much wanted their baby! My Mama and Dad were married and biological parents to my brother. 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. What he provided were lies to young mothers and fathers who wanted their babies ! Some of the ads and links on this website are affiliate links which pay me a commission if you purchase through them. He is the man behind the babies who are now called the Hicks Babies. i come from to sides of a family that are both messed up. 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. The birth certificates Ive seen were in the 6-7 lb range. Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! Dr. Hicks died of leukemia in 1972 at the age of 83. It is suspected that many of them did and there is rumor that perhaps he disposed of those little bodies in the river. If hes alive, hopefully hell see the TV show and decide to test. There is no evidence that any of the babies that were adopted through the actions of Dr. Hicks are related to him. For him to lie to these women is unforgivable. https://t.co/900llb4znH, Angel Patriot?? You arent responsible for their sins. Have you heard the story of Dr. Hicks? Thank you so much. Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks He sold those babies for a profit. Many are still trying to find their biological relatives. Dr. Thomas Hicks. Dr Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. To protect their privacy, I have chosen not to mention any of the individuals who were adopted by name in this article. Learn how three Hicks babies were able to find biological family using DNA. That doesnt mean that my heart doesnt break for the pain that these people have gone through and continue to go through. I Just dont understand how anyone could possibly think what he did was right or just or in any way good at all!! TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. Prior to that, he was practicing just across the state line in Copperhill, Tennessee, and could well have been selling babies then. Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. Clearly, you have never lost a child. pic.twitter.com/77eyWNLdHM. Before Doctor Hicks opened his practice in Georgia he was just across the state line in Polk County Tennessee in the 1930s. Hed encourage them to put their babies up for adoption instead. READ NEXT: Jane Blasio, The Hicks Baby Who Broke the Black Market Baby Adoption Case: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Dr. Thomas Hicks: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. She assumed it was a legal adoption until he told her otherwise. What he did was completely illegal, but was it less moral than aborting these babies? 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. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. Time is running out. These lists include people who are genetically related to us. I have a great sample of relatives going back many generations.