So yes he should be vilified! 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. Are you kidding me. No one with half a brain can even think that is good. 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. He told women their babies had died when they hadnt. A fake birth certificate was produced, listing the adoptive parents as the parents of the child. I can empathize because of some similarities, but I cannot fully understand. But honestly, my suggestion would be for them to live for today. It includes a handout, plenty of time for questions and discussion, and access to the recording for 2 weeks. Barbara, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. The adopted child or biological mother can call and provide information about their gender and birthdate. He sold at least one more baby after he was shut down. People, accessed 17 September 2019. That doesnt mean that my heart doesnt break for the pain that these people have gone through and continue to go through. 23andMe is on sale right now. 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. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. This is a different story than what I expected! Im sorry but thats a totally twisted way of thinking in my view!! They were all corrupt! Youre as crazy as he was if you think he should even get a pat on the back for his time and services. 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. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. When she woke she only had one baby. Her only health problem was asthma. Are you for real?? But many aspects of his clinic remain a mystery to this day. Mama named my brother Von Gordon. 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. 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. HIS BIO FAMILY DIDNT FIND OUT ABT HIM UNTIL 60 YEARS LATER AND TOO LATE BECAUAE HIS MOTHER WAS I ALREADY DEAD. Hopefully he got his comeuppance. ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN WERE MESSED UP FROM THIS. They should at least be thankful that they werent aborted. Dr. Thomas Hicks family tree 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. HE WAS A HORRIBLE MAN, JUST HORRIBLE!!! Well he and Alannas birth father very similar. Who is Parent 1 or Parent 2 on Ancestry DNA? 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. "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN5X-3HV: 3 February 2021), Thomas J Hicks, 1920. Did you like this post? Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. In next week's column, this family's lineage will be continued with the family and history of Samuel Hicks (2). 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. 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 . Those who likely knew what happened may have died as well. pic.twitter.com/3dg3CRes3u. Clearly, you have never lost a child. Despite the illegality of the abortions, Hicks would advertise the service at phone booths, bus stations and bridges, according to Appalachian History. i was told i was born in raymond wa. When mothers came in to the clinic and expressed hesitancy about carrying their pregnancies to term, the doctor would persuade them to have their babies. Hicks lied, blatantly, to some of these women, hell probably 90% of them. We dont know anything about the adults he has seen. i hope everything gets better for those kids and those parents. His forged birth certificates did not list biological parents. Babies born that early would need to remain in the hospital. There are many people who were adopted at birth who can use similar strategies to learn more about their recent and distant ancestry. As I watched this documentary it made me think of the story my mother told many timesas her grandmother told hershe (my mother) was born in Oliver Springs TN.. (a little over two hours from McCaysville GA) A Dr Stone dilivered her and told her mother that she didnt make it meanwhile shes lying on a cart covered up with a sheet outside the room when her grandmother realizes shes there picked her up blew into her mouth then spanked her bottom and she started crying. I am the youngest of seven siblings. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. A legacy linked to illegal adoptions in rural North Georgia, Woman illegally sold to couple by doctor as newborn speaks out with new book: 'story isn't just about me'. For perspective, $1000 in 1950 is equal to about $10,900 in todays dollars. 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. I may have a couple brothers out there. I know your heart aches. Estimates show Hicks sold about 200 babies from the 1940s to the 1960s.3. Quietly, because the clinic he'd been running since the mid-1940s was not a licensed adoption agency. They wanted to be rid of their babies and were desperate. 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. You dont want to vilify him? Blasio first traveled to McCaysville in 1988 to search for her birth mother. My parents were a young married couple and very much wanted their baby! Labor was induced at 31-34 weeks (based on the birth weight of the survivors). New York Times, accessed 17 September 2019. Some of those in his town defend his actions, according to Narratively, saying he was providing a service. Yes he had a choice he just made the wrong one for greed!! With that said, what we know, sounds evil, but that is based on times being much different. Mama never got over this. Have you heard the story of Dr. Hicks? This man not only took away peoples family history, but ruined their future as well. After watching this documentary I can see how he got away with it for so long. When she ask Dr Hicks about it he told her it was the medication making her think that. I am currently fixing to do my own dna test. He would sell the babies to parents who wanted to adopt but couldnt afford to do so legally. Did your mother give birth in Akron or in McCaysville? He also has a living granddaughter named Sally Sompayrac. In 1964, the town sheriff arrested Hicks for performing illegal abortions. My decision is there was something very wrong going on. can you imagine waking up one day to find out accidently that you were adopted and come to find out through this show or other means that your wife is your sister or first cousin? Just recently I have been confirmed to be the last of the Hicks babies. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. The same lecture is offered twiceNovember 1 and 2, 2022to accommodate schedules and time zones. Some birth mothers knew they were placing a baby for adoption, some thought they had an abortion, and some were told their infants died. $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. 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. But not all of the babies have been reunited. I am helping a relative looking for his birth parents or siblings. 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. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. And youve had children with them??? He was married and had three children. Thank you. Ignorance is a terrible thing smh!!!! I had a brother who was given up for adoption by his mother in Tennessee. Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. Dr. Hicks did lose his medical license in 1964 due to an infraction unrelated to the illegal adoptions. We only know about the ones who survived. Have you taken a DNA test yourself? He took HUGE risks for essentially very little in return, in fact he did lose his medical license in 1964 for performing an abortion. It wouldve been 1964. Chang, Juju, Jasmine Brown, Geoff Martz and Lauren Effron. There is living proof, with dna, of one man, who along with his twin brother, was reported dead and buried by Dr. Hicks. 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. 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. Hicks Baby Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother. 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. in Psychology and enjoys writing about health and wellness. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn more about yourself. 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. Instead of killing the children he delivered live infants, told the mothers their babies were dead, and gave the babies away to parents who wanted them. She is a member of a Facebook groups which joins the Hicks babies. Remember that these women had no where else to go, no one to turn to. Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. If hes alive, hopefully hell see the TV show and decide to test. Then you missed the entirety of the story. 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. You can see for yourself google him. 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 . More than 200 babies, known as the "Hicks Babies," were. He died in 1972 and it took three decades before Hicks' actions were brought to light. is anything else your are looking? Her decade-long search for her birth parents led to the exposure of Hicks' illegal babies. Natalie. Blasio went on to help dozens of Hicks babies so they could track down their birth parents and relatives. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, a doctor was selling babies from his small town abortion clinic in the heart of McCaysville, Georgia. She noted to the TV station many of them went to good homes and led successful lives. 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. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Hicks was forced to give up his medical license in 1964 after being charged with performing illegal abortions, and he died in 1972 at the age of 83. I dont trust my own memories, let alone 50 year old memories. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is the "bad guy" featured in a three-part docuseries titled Taken At Birth. His daughter is living in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. I have hicks show up in my DNA results. Thank you so much. You arent responsible for their sins. Learn how your comment data is processed. He was protecting himself & looking out for his own financial interest!!! What people dont realize is Doc Hicks started his practice in Tennessee. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. My Mama and Daddy were young parents and though they were very poor they both wanted their first born with all their heart! If you have any questions about something that you read in this post, please join in the discussion below. These include the nurse, the secretary who signed the false documents, Hicks lawyer, and the sheriff who investigated Hicks illegal abortion clinic. Her name is Alana honey boo boo if you dont know who she is you can google her. Maybe hes out there and will search for you. I came from a messed up family, too. Evil does not begin to describe this man. Thank goodness your grandmother was there and knew what to do. 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. 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. It was discovered that Dr. Thomas J. Hicks had been selling newborns from the small-town facility's backdoor for $1000. Both of Dr. Hicks' parents were born in Tennessee. My thoughts exactly. "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 Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Do you know how that can mentally affect a woman? What he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children. That is not correct. Wow! Several of the Hicks Babies found the mausoleum was vandalized when they paid a visit in 2018. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. AND IN ALL ACTUALITY HICKS LIED TO HER TO GET HER TWIN BOYS AND MADE OVER 2000 OFF OF HER PAIN. Hicks didnt oversee legal adoptions. What part of that is okay? My husband and I said the same thing while watching this show! I still dont know, one of the Hicks Babies, Melinda, told the publication. Categories: Fannin County, Georgia | McCaysville, Georgia | Hicks Clinic, McCaysville, Georgia, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. On another point, Ive heard it said that Dr. Hicks disposed of aborted babies in the river. She hopes DNA testing will enable them to find their birth parents. 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. Thanks, Originally from Tennessee, Thomas Hicks was educated at Tusculum College (now Tusculum University) and Carson-Newman College, both in Tennessee, and Emory University Medical School near Atlanta, Georgia. 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. 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. Many people who fell victim to the Hicks baby market hope these DNA tests will help them find closure. TLC's Taken at Birth, which first aired in 2019, is a three-part . So telling a mother that her baby died at birth while he sold it out his back door was fine with you? His wife and son have both passed away. It is in Gods hands. I hope all the people that are involved will find what ever it is they are looking for. There are about 200 people, now adults, who are among those who are sometimes referred to as Hicks Babies. [But] I dont think it initially started that way., SAD STORYwith a happy ending for a brother & sister, John & Cindy were just 2 of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Thomas Hicks, a doctor in Georgia who was selling babies out of the back door of his clinic in the 50s & 60s. 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. We will never know the hell they have suffered. 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. Furthermore, over 200 babies! But lets be honest, no one is going to admit that they willingly sold their baby. He delivered many babies in Tennessee before they ran him out of the state. She has a B.S. Are you nuts? Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. Same ears, chin/jaw line, nose, and eyes. 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. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks died at age 83 on March 5, 1972, after a battle with leukemia. She assumed it was a legal adoption until he told her otherwise. They adored Dr Hicks and were fiercely protective of his reputation and legacy. Did you like this post? 1997. The reason I am writing is this. Some on here commented that the bio moms were likely unwed and didnt want the babies. Yes. He was arrested for performing illegal abortions in 1964. Read our best DNA test page to find the best one for you. I do truly feel for the Hicks babies for not knowing; I know that must be hard. What Happened To Dr. Hicks And His Associates? These babies were later sold to adoptive families. 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. He delivered 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. The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. Dr. Hicks was married and had two kids a son and a daughter. 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. is anything else your are looking? In the small town, the. 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. At least 200 babies had their identities stolen. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. He induced birth prematurely to make money. 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. This is a story of a doctor who saved lives?? I would love to be able to find him or maybe some of his family. As I say, not perfect, but a good man, Doris Abernathy told WKYC. GOOD NIGHT DEAD DAD, GOOD NIGHT GOOD NIGHT. 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. Love and hugs to them all! Some theorized Hicks was buried beside his mausoleum because of concern the grave would be vandalized. Moves to NE Ohio and then to Michigan from 1868 to this day. 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. Until Mother's Day 1997, when his adoptions were exposed. Think about it, some of these folks could fall in love with a relative and not even know it. The method of the illegal adoptions has left many questions for those who started their lives in Hicks clinic. Babies came to the mountains with him and babies left the mountains with him. Some were children of women Hicks convinced not to have abortions. I have had two of my children die. 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. 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. Anyways the family is from Georgia and they film there as well. now that im older and i actually understand what happened i think its horrible. I dont know. Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! These folks deserve to know where they came from! Hicks was providing a service, Ken Rush, director of the Ducktown Basin Museum, told Narratively. Have you taken a DNA test? His wife and son both passed away, and his daughter lives in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. A sick, twisted & greedy man. 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 My parents lived together for 62 years and went on to have seven more children but my Mama grieved the rest of her life for the son she lost! 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 He induced births, told mothers their babies died and sold them! 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. Is like $10,000. Use your brain, IF good old dr hicks was such a good doctor then why did he need to tell the women that their baby died?? Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok.