My Dad was a black-market baby in 1941 in Akron OH. All of Dr. Hicks grandparents were born in Tennessee, as were many of his great-grandparents. What Does It Mean If You Have 1% Native American DNA? 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. i hope everything gets better for those kids and those parents. Dr. Hicks died of leukemia in 1972 at the age of 83. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. 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. 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. pic.twitter.com/3dg3CRes3u. How can this man NOT be vilified?! Blasio first traveled to McCaysville in 1988 to search for her birth mother. https://thednageek.com/dna-tests. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. 23andMe is on sale right now. I am currently fixing to do my own dna test. For him to lie to these women is unforgivable. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Sr (1888-1972) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree 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. Dr. Hicks died of leukemia in 1972 at the age of 83. The man that is Dr.Hicks first stolen, one of the twins. There is no evidence that any of the babies that were adopted through the actions of Dr. Hicks are related to him. discoveries. Looking for a DNA test that's accurate and can tell you about your health and heritage? 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. I think, at first, it was under the table, and then he had seen there was money involved. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. My brother was born in the middle 1930s. Some were children of women Hicks convinced not to have abortions. Barbara, the very same thing happened to my Mother. Hicks ancestor immigrated from England to Plymouth Colony in 1621 What is the Levant DNA Region on Ancestry. I agree totally with you.This all sounds awful. Are you nuts? She has a B.S. Theres nothing there, Linda, one of the Hicks Babies, told Narratively. He surrendered his Georgia medical license to halt his prosecution.2. It was discovered that Dr. Thomas J. Hicks had been selling newborns from the small-town facility's backdoor for $1000. I agree that in those cases he did the right thing, but everything else he did was just horrible! She grieved for him her entire life! He was married and had two children, a son and a daughter. He also delivered the babies early, between 31 & 34 wks causing them to have low birthweight and health issues. And most of these women were likely unmarried, which was a huge no-no at the time. 2015. I sincerely hope more can make connections before its too late. Dr Hicks told some of the mothers that their babies died, then he sold them. 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. Hicks was performing abortions long before Roe. If he is out there and looking he may have tried the dna route. My mom had two stillborn they told her. saying the baby was stillborn could have been nothing more than a cover story for them. They should at least be thankful that they werent aborted. New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal. Furthermore, over 200 babies! And in 1972, Hicks died at age 83. Dr. Hicks was married and had two kids a son and a daughter. 1997. He was born October 18, 1888. 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. My parents were a young married couple and very much wanted their baby! This lecture will be retired after this offering, so dont miss out! Ive heard the same story over and over, that the mother heard her baby cry but was told it was stillborn. I am watching the TV documentary on Dr. Hicks and do not believe he should be so vilified. If you find ANYTHING humane or OKAY about that then God so help you! It would give me great peace to know I found him or his family for my sweet Mama. Now fast forward 50 years, memories are skewed, you feel differently now, maybe you wish things were different. Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! 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. My oldest would have been born in Akron in 1960. Just recently I have been confirmed to be the last of the Hicks babies. TLC's Taken at Birth, which first aired in 2019, is a three-part . Dr. Hicks had a granddaughter, Sally Sompayrac, who empathizes with the plight of the Hicks babies. The second would have been no later than 1962. Perhaps your dad was referring to the equipment used to save preemies. How Did People Find Out About the Hicks Babies? WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. 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. It can be a serious disease. Try DNA ancestry.comI found my biological father this waybest way to find out if you have family is through DNA, Take a ancestry dna That is the test they are using. Thank you! Her decade-long search for her birth parents led to the exposure of Hicks' illegal babies. But those he left behind have differing opinions on his actions. 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. Does it say where he was born or the name of the doctor? So for that reason, I think were putting too much faith in these womens stories. He took HUGE risks for essentially very little in return, in fact he did lose his medical license in 1964 for performing an abortion. I came from a messed up family, too. You people have no idea how many states/commonwealths this Hicks was in., he was known in the mountains of Pa as Hickscock. After watching this documentary I can see how he got away with it for so long. What Happened to Dr. Thomas Hicks? You really have no idea what you are talking about! Login to find your connection. Interesting. 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. That doesnt mean that my heart doesnt break for the pain that these people have gone through and continue to go through. Father of Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr; Dr Walter Lynn Hicks and Private Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks He did not have any choice but to lie on the birth certificates. https://t.co/900llb4znH, Angel Patriot?? He was born October 18, 1888. Her initial search was unsuccessful, so she contacted a Georgia probate attorney. . Blasio blew the whistle back in the 1990s. "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 If you have any questions about something that you read in this post, please join in the discussion below. 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. Ray, you bring up an excellent reason why everyone has the right to know who their biological family is. He died in 1972 and it took three decades before Hicks' actions were brought to light. I know your heart aches. Remember that these women had no where else to go, no one to turn to. Husband of Chass Chassie Hicks They may not even know theyre adopted. Ignorance is a terrible thing smh!!!! You made your decision. Maybe hes out there and will search for you. 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. Appalachian History says his daughter is still alive and living in North Carolina. I do hope your brother survived and is out there somewhere. Dr. Hicks created fake birth certificates and listed the adoptive parents as biological parents. What he did to all of those families was very wrong. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. 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. It was a horrible thing he did to my parents and the rest of us when he stole my oldest brother! On the documentary the officer in the second episode claimed he gave a relative of his a shot and she died 30min later. I have so many thoughts racing through my mind. "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). 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. Babies were handed out to them through the door or window. Instead, he illegally sold the babies for approximately $800 to $1,000 each.1. Hed ask them to put on a medical gown and lay down on a table. In 1964, the town sheriff arrested Hicks for performing illegal abortions. 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. ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN WERE MESSED UP FROM THIS. The birth certificates Ive seen were in the 6-7 lb range. Dr Hicks induced some babies early, and they would have been put in incubators had then been born that early today. i come from to sides of a family that are both messed up. 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. 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. In 2014, around 30 suspected Hicks Babies traveled to Tennessee to undergo DNA testing. Some of Hicks Babies, as they are sometimes referred to as, have done DNA tests in order to identify relatives who might be able to help them learn who their birth parents were. And then today, with abortions being legal, aborted babies are having their body parts SOLD what a repugnant thought. we do not know where these births occured most of our family is deceased. To protect their privacy, I have chosen not to mention any of the individuals who were adopted by name in this article. The adopted child or biological mother can call and provide information about their gender and birthdate. You arent responsible for their sins. He sold those babies for a profit. The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. I hope your brother decides to test someday. I do truly feel for the Hicks babies for not knowing; I know that must be hard. He is buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. I did see it just yesterday. Below is the list of best dr thomas hicks family tree website where you can find anything related to dr thomas hicks family tree. Im sure there are also many, many Hicks babies out there that have no idea they are Hicks babies. Blasio went on to help dozens of Hicks babies so they could track down their birth parents and relatives. My dad moved us to New Mexico when I was in my early teens but I have a brother who stayed in Michigan. View Ancestry DNA Matches By Ancestor With ThruLines. To have an unequivocal reference sample for any other Hicks children who want to know their origins. Dr. Hicks served as a town doctor in McCaysville, Ga., and was known for performing abortions, which were illegal at the time. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. What Was the Immigration Process at Ellis Island Like? Just horrible! 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. I dont know. Tune in to #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, starting TONIGHT at 9/8c. #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, begins Wednesday at 9/8c. Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. Dr. Hicks died a disgrace in 1972, one year before the Roe v. Wade decision. How can you condone that? I was sold on the black market by my mum's doctor - The Sun I would love to be able to find him or maybe some of his family. $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. Copyright 2023 Who are You Made Of? 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. Prior to that, he was practicing just across the state line in Copperhill, Tennessee, and could well have been selling babies then. Before Doctor Hicks opened his practice in Georgia he was just across the state line in Polk County Tennessee in the 1930s. What we have now is the mothers side of the story. During the years that he ran his clinic, the town was at its population peak of between 1,800-2,000 residents. Dr Hicks didnt keep records of the births and adoptions, so the only way to find your brother, if hes still alive, would be if he decided to look for you using DNA. Hopefully he got his comeuppance. 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. But there was nothing in it. So far, there are no positive DNA matches between babies and parents from the database. Is like $10,000. Those who were adopted have few places to turn to track down their origins. I Just dont understand how anyone could possibly think what he did was right or just or in any way good at all!! Geni requires JavaScript! At least one Hicks baby submitted his DNA to Ancestry.com and found a half-sister. They were not, and he sold those babies. Enter a grandparent's name. We just were not there and will never know his thoughts. He told some of the biological mothers that they had undergone an abortion. Leave a message for others who see this profile. New York Times, accessed 17 September 2019. His name would have been Von Gordon Prince. 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)? The illegal adoptions came to an end in 1964, when Hicks was caught performing illegal abortions. Dr Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. She did NOT go to him for an abortion, she went to deliver MY BROTHER. The method of the illegal adoptions has left many questions for those who started their lives in Hicks clinic. 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. Facebook He was inducing them around 30 weeks handing out 4lb babies to people. He induced labor and delivered low birth weight babies that were in danger of dying. 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. Dr Thomas Hicks Family Tree With Complete Detail Learn how three Hicks babies were able to find biological family using DNA. Some theorized Hicks was buried beside his mausoleum because of concern the grave would be vandalized. Jane needs to get a DNA test and compare it to Doris Abernathy, the town historian. I am wondering if any possible hicks babies that have not found relatives has DNA done? 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. I have a great sample of relatives going back many generations. 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,. Barbara, I shuttered when I read your comment! They did have several that admitted they went in for an abortion Im sure the guy was no saint, but i think he was saving these babies. She named him Von Gordon. I mean no disrespect towards anyone. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. 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 dont know the truth, the people involved back THEN know. Not sure how you can justify robbing mothers of their babies (some were told the babies died) or destroying the records so those that wanted to find their biological parents had no way of doing so. To date, no one knows the exact number of babies he stole and sold on . Geni requires JavaScript! Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. 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. I hope youre able to solve your case soon. Well he and Alannas birth father very similar.