These folks deserve to know where they came from! These women often came away from faraway places. Aug 05, 2015 at 7:11 pm. Mama had seven more babies after that(Im the youngest)she never stopped grieving for her oldest son. https://thednageek.com/dna-tests. It wouldve been 1964. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. How can this man NOT be vilified?! TLC My Mama and Daddy were very young yet very poor when this evil man told my Mama her first born son, my oldest brother was dead. Did you like this post? 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)? In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. I hope you guys can find what your looking for. 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. 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. #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, begins TONIGHT at 9/8c. In the small town, the. Mama said they ran him out of Tennessee not long after that because he was killing so many babies. 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. The good Dr told the mother they were still born. Dr. Hicks was a town doctor who performed illegal abortions. What he did was completely illegal, but was it less moral than aborting these babies? This is how this group of babies, who are now all grown up, came to be called Hicks Babies. But advocates hope it will someday happen. Janice, I am from Polk County Tennessee as well and Dr Hicks delivered my oldest brother before they ran him out of Tennessee. 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. Hicks was married and had two kids a son and a daughter. Im so sorry for your familys loss. When families came to his clinic to adopt babies, Hicks made the women pretend they had just given birth. That son adopted Sallie, who was featured in the show. Login to find your connection. I am happy to offer a dna sample if possible. My Mama and Dad were married and biological parents to my brother. I do truly feel for the Hicks babies for not knowing; I know that must be hard. Barbara, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Thomas Hicks was a well-respected doctor in the small town of McCaysville, Georgia. Genealogy for Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. Are you nuts? Estimated reading time: 5 minutes From 1951 to 1965 Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks began to quietly offer babies for adoption from his Hicks Community Clinic in McCaysville, GA. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. Melinda, of the Hicks Babies, I have a missing, supposedly deceased infant sister, born in supposedly michigan in 1967, 1968 or 1969. How can you condone that? 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. Dr. Hicks did lose his medical license in 1964 due to an infraction unrelated to the illegal adoptions. My Dad was a black-market baby in 1941 in Akron OH. The world is full of possibilities, and you are amazing! How Did Hicks Black Market Babies Business Work? Her name is Alana honey boo boo if you dont know who she is you can google her. Blasio went on to help dozens of Hicks babies so they could track down their birth parents and relatives. Absolutely horrifying!!!!! Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok. Dr. Hicks was married and had two kids a son and a daughter. Now, they are using the power of DNA to reunite with their biological families. Hopefully he got his comeuppance. 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. Hed ask them to put on a medical gown and lay down on a table. Hed encourage them to put their babies up for adoption instead. About 15 of the 200+ babies have been reunited with their biological parents. The illegal adoptions came to an end in 1964, when Hicks was caught performing illegal abortions. 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. The poverty here in the Copper Basin of southeast Tennessee and far north Georgia, which includes the town of McCaysville, often meant that pregnant women couldnt ask a relative or friend to help raise their children. My parents were a young married couple and very much wanted their baby! This was rural Appalachia in the 50s and 60s, a lot of poor families. TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. According to the neonatalogist interviewed in the show many other babies must have died. 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. Stories of young girls dying from botched abortions in the early 50s still exist in the living memories of those from the region. Prior to that, he was practicing just across the state line in Copperhill, Tennessee, and could well have been selling babies then. Is like $10,000. GOOD NIGHT DEAD DAD, GOOD NIGHT GOOD NIGHT. He is monster!! 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. 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. In 2014, around 30 suspected Hicks Babies traveled to Tennessee to undergo DNA testing. They werent all there for abortions!! My heart breaks for your mama and for your whole family. Facebook Those who likely knew what happened may have died as well. How the hell would YOU feel? Babies For Sale: The Secret Adoptions That Haunt One Georgia Town Until Mother's Day 1997, when his adoptions were exposed. Clearly, you have never lost a child. The Hicks babies seemed to have mixed feelings about his actions from the Narratively profile. All of the babies were children of mothers who were persuaded to give up their children for adoption, and were not biological children of Dr. Hicks. But there was nothing in it. As a matter of fact she grieved the rest of her life for her first born she thought had died! His wife and son have both passed away. He was born October 18, 1888. I mean no disrespect towards anyone. Have The Hicks Babies Been Reunited With Their Birth Parents Or Birth Families? 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. A New York Times profile of Blasio appeared in 1997, which was around the. 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. The extra mouths to feed were simply too expensive. You people have no idea how many states/commonwealths this Hicks was in., he was known in the mountains of Pa as Hickscock. Investigators opened the mausoleum, searching for records of the illegal adoptions, but found it was empty. At-home DNA testing wasnt available until recently. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. There were cases where Hicks talked women out of abortion. We Delivering you Souvenirs from China;Our site is Specialized in Selling Chinese Special Versions of Stamps, Currency (Coins / Paper), also Selling Souvenirs From the Most Famous Chinese Tourist Sites www.ChinaCoinz.com Part of NTD E-Commerce Co. LTD www.ChinaCoinz.com Part of NTD E-Commerce Co. LTD,. Did your mother give birth in Akron or in McCaysville? The charges didnt mention that he sold babies or had them illegally adopted. The adopted child or biological mother can call and provide information about their gender and birthdate. I so agree with you. Some of those in his town defend his actions, according to Narratively, saying he was providing a service. 'Black market baby' meets biological father in Gallatin I personally think he is a sociopath and I wonder if he could have been a Serial Killer as well. He is the man behind the babies who are now called the Hicks Babies. You arent responsible for their sins. He took HUGE risks for essentially very little in return, in fact he did lose his medical license in 1964 for performing an abortion. Most biological mothers disappeared after giving birth to their babies. They look exactly alike. 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 . Babies were handed out to them through the door or window. 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. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Does it say where he was born or the name of the doctor? Has your family done any dna tests like 23andme or ancestry? I sincerely hope more can make connections before its too late. Some residents seemed to know the double life he was leading. My Hicks line starts in New York in 1833. She never got over it. The same lecture is offered twiceNovember 1 and 2, 2022to accommodate schedules and time zones. Think about it, some of these folks could fall in love with a relative and not even know it. 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 There is living proof, with dna, of one man, who along with his twin brother, was reported dead and buried by Dr. Hicks. If there was no demand for the service, Hicks would not have been doing it. They can arrange a meeting if a match shows up and both sides want to meet. Blasio also created a confidential registry to help Hicks babies find their parents and siblings. When they opened it up there was great excitement. To have an unequivocal reference sample for any other Hicks children who want to know their origins. The story has been featured in many TV specials, including on TLCs, Taken At Birth, which originally aired in 2019. He also delivered the babies early, between 31 & 34 wks causing them to have low birthweight and health issues. It is unknown whether Hicks paid the biological mothers for the babies. Several of the Hicks Babies found the mausoleum was vandalized when they paid a visit in 2018. Husband of Chassie Hicks In addition, he did serve time in jail in Tennessee for illegally dispensing narcotics in the 1940s. Mama never got over this. We just were not there and will never know his thoughts. is anything else your are looking? He told women their babies had died when they hadnt. 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. One thousand dollars in 1955 would be nearly $10,000 today. He delivered my oldest brother. It is suspected that many of them did and there is rumor that perhaps he disposed of those little bodies in the river. But what does anyone think was normally done with illegally aborted babies during that time I can tell you, they were likely disposed of in with the garbage. is anything else your are looking? And youve had children with them??? What Dr Hicks did was illegal. Have you taken a DNA test? Learn how your comment data is processed. The illegal adoptions came to an end in 1964, when Hicks was caught performing illegal abortions. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - geni family tree. Tune in to #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, starting TONIGHT at 9/8c. Are you for real?? Such an evil man to cause such heart ache! We dont know anything about the adults he has seen. For over 50 years this small town has been hiding a shocking secret. Dr. Thomas Hicks' Death: How Did the Doctor Die? | Heavy.com And, even though it was illegal, many women thought they were having an abortion. Personally I hope that Dr Hicks is burning in hell! After watching this documentary I can see how he got away with it for so long. 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. They adored Dr Hicks and were fiercely protective of his reputation and legacy. She always thought she had a boy out there somewhere. Never has been black market babies, she told WKYC. Bragg, Rick. 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. 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. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. This is a different story than what I expected! You have several options when it comes to learning about your DNA, KnowYourDNA is the best source for finding all things related to DNA. So that he could make money. He buried them for her (such a nice guy) and gave her a birth certificate stating they were stillborn. Theyre an invaluable resource for parentage searches. Who is Jane Blasio, and what really went on with her adoption? - YourTango 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. Dr Hicks told some of the mothers that their babies died, then he sold them. The story broke across the U.S. in 1997 when an Akron woman named Jane Blasio learned that her parents bought her from a clinic in Georgia. But those he left behind have differing opinions on his actions. Unfortunately, Hicks kept no records of the birth mothers. Blasio confirmed with the county birth records that she was likely one of the hundreds of babies sold between 1950 and 1965.2. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JRRC-NPT: 9 January 2021), Thomas Hicks, Mar 1972; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing). Evil does not begin to describe this man. I kept yelling at the tv he saved your freaking life!!!! He would sell the babies to parents who wanted to adopt but couldnt afford to do so legally. John Stapleton, another one of the Hicks Babies, said he did not think Hicks started in the business for profit. You really have no idea what you are talking about! 'Hicks baby' reunited with her birth mother and brother His family did not live like they had money in fact most of his money appeared to be put right back into the town of McKaysville into businesses which kept folks employed and kept the town thriving. This is how those who were adopted can identify the parents or grandparents of their biological parents. A fake birth certificate was produced, listing the adoptive parents as the parents of the child. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. I think, at first, it was under the table, and then he had seen there was money involved. I think that you did well with pointing out that this is not on and well done. Ive heard the same story over and over, that the mother heard her baby cry but was told it was stillborn. Sims Family Tree View These Best Collection, Mishima Family Tree Find Best Design For You. pic.twitter.com/77eyWNLdHM. In the 1950s and 60s a small-town Georgia family doctor illegally sold hundreds of babies from the back door of his practice. So telling a mother that her baby died at birth while he sold it out his back door was fine with you? Since these adoptions were discovered more than two decades after Dr. Hicks death, there are many details of the story that may never be uncovered. You are right, Dr Hicks was an evil man. My mother grieved for her baby the rest if her life! Doctor Hicks was NO saint and we recognize his dysfunction, the pain he caused many, and have learned to bear it, she wrote. People, accessed 17 September 2019. If it wasnt Hicks, there was someone doing the same thing during the war years adopting babies out to Akron. I can empathize because of some similarities, but I cannot fully understand. Have you taken a DNA test yourself? What we have now is the mothers side of the story. Women who wanted abortions would be talked into keeping the pregnancy so he could sell the baby once it arrived. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. But he didn't stop the illegal adoptions. 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. Dr. Hicks died a disgrace in 1972, one year before the Roe v. Wade decision. Who was Thomas J. Hicks? My dad moved us to New Mexico when I was in my early teens but I have a brother who stayed in Michigan. 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. Dr Thomas Jugarthy "Tommy" Hicks Jr. - Find a Grave I used AncestryDNA to solve all of the Hicks cases I worked on. You should be ashamed of yourself because you have no idea of the pain he caused many families! Narratively, accessed 17 September 2019. I had a brother who was given up for adoption by his mother in Tennessee. Dr. Thomas Hicks died of leukemia, a type of blood cancer. He was her first born and she said she heard him cry yet Dr Hicks told her he was still born. 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. Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks She worked with TLCs Long Lost Family to locate biological family members. I owe my life to him, but he has also been the cause of so much pain and suffering. I was waiting for one mother to come on and say that they were told that their baby had died, but nope. There was a tip-off, though. My heart aches for your mother and your whole family. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. 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]. Surnames in his family tree include Thomas, Fitch, Green, Waddell, and Johnson. This is accomplished through the careful study of DNA matches. He was arrested for performing illegal abortions in 1964. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. me are my real parents or not as i am finding out not every thing they told me about family is real. In next week's column, this family's lineage will be continued with the family and history of Samuel Hicks (2). What Does It Mean If You Have 1% Native American DNA?