Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn more about yourself. His Georgia clinic was located only a short distance away from his previous practice in Tennessee right across the border. The Hicks babies seemed to have mixed feelings about his actions from the Narratively profile. 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. His wife and son both passed away, and his daughter lives in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. 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. Who was Thomas J. Hicks? This man not only took away peoples family history, but ruined their future as well. Absolutely horrifying!!!!! He also has a living granddaughter named Sally Sompayrac. Her decade-long search for her birth parents led to the exposure of Hicks' illegal babies. Categories Searching for Biological Family. Furthermore, over 200 babies! I was born in 1967. But advocates hope it will someday happen. 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. If you havent been there, you cannot possibly imagine what that is like. Thank you. 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. It was Mother's Day of 1997 when Reymann saw a story in the Akron Beacon Journal featuring the story of Jane Blasio who had discovered she had been illegally sold as an infant for $1,000 from a clinic run by Dr. Thomas Hicks in McCaysville, Ga. some three decades earlier. If it was a black-market clinic, there probably arent any records of the transaction. It would give me great peace to know I found him or his family for my sweet Mama. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. The illegal adoptions came to an end in 1964, when Hicks was caught performing illegal abortions. Both of Dr. Hicks parents were born in Tennessee. 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? https://t.co/900llb4znH, Angel Patriot?? 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. He lied to many and told them their babies died! The townspeople believed he encouraged pregnant women who came to him to carry their babies to term instead. What part of that is okay? v. Wade legalized abortions. There was no reason not to dig up his grave. I hope youre able to solve your case soon. What he did to all of those families was very wrong. was there more than one Dr. Hicks mentioned in the Taken AT Birth documentary or just one? He was buried in Crestlawn Cemetery in Polk County, Tennessee. It was discovered that Dr. Thomas J. Hicks had been selling newborns from the small-town facility's backdoor for $1000. Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. If you fully watched the documentary you would know that almost all the babies were 4lbs at birth weight or even SMALLER and he was doing this to hurry along the money. My husband and I said the same thing while watching this show! 1997. She noted to the TV station many of them went to good homes and led successful lives. Dr Hicks induced some babies early, and they would have been put in incubators had then been born that early today. Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! 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. We could be related. 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. Son of David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Hicks Many of those from Hicks small town defended his actions. PS Ancestry DNA is a crook. It includes a handout, plenty of time for questions and discussion, and access to the recording for 2 weeks. He reportedly performed abortions, which were illegal at the time, for $100. in Psychology and enjoys writing about health and wellness. we do not know where these births occured most of our family is deceased. What an awful tragedy. If they went there to have abortions and he told them what they wanted to hear, saved the lives of their babies and put them into the arms of loving parents, that makes him a hero in my eyes. Those few cases were a woman gave birth knowing she did not want the baby, and Dr. Hicks found someone wanting to adopt, are far and few between! And then today, with abortions being legal, aborted babies are having their body parts SOLD what a repugnant thought. I may have a couple brothers out there. It is in Gods hands. His clinic, the Hicks Clinic, was in operation between about 1945-1965. 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. This is accomplished through the careful study of DNA matches. 2015. Dr Thomas Hicks Family Tree Do You Know These Top Templates? He was married and had two children, a son and a daughter. 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. Appalachian History says his daughter is still alive and living in North Carolina. "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. Did the births take place at the Hicks Clinic? The charges didnt mention that he sold babies or had them illegally adopted. Buying or selling A CHILDTHERE IS EVERYTHING WRONG WITH THAT! Despite the illegality of the abortions, Hicks would advertise the service at phone booths, bus stations and bridges, according to Appalachian History. But lets be honest, no one is going to admit that they willingly sold their baby. 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. My dad moved us to New Mexico when I was in my early teens but I have a brother who stayed in Michigan. Occupation: Dentist Spouse: Sallie Cobb Johnson Adopted children: Thomas J. III and Sallie Cobb Hicks Son of Chassie Copeland and Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Sr. who performed illegal late term abortions, sold infants on the black market and is the subject of the TLC documentary Taken At Birth.. i was told i was born in raymond wa. Natalie. The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column. Why dig up a grave when dna could have given these people the answer if they were siblings? Babies were handed out to them through the door or window. Thank you. Such an evil man to cause such heart ache! News, TLC Shows. She hopes DNA testing will enable them to find their birth parents. Could you imagine the survival rate back then for babies 3lb or 4lbs. 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. They may not even know theyre adopted. Just horrible! Not a mother who wanted to give her baby up for adoption, but a mother who trusted her doctor? 2019. But not all of the babies have been reunited. Theres probably a lot of dead babies because of his practices. Autosomal DNA tests, such as Ancestry DNA, 23andMe, My Heritage, and Family Tree DNA, offer extensive DNA match lists. We can tell ourselves stories, and they become our truths. On another point, Ive heard it said that Dr. Hicks disposed of aborted babies in the river. Same ears, chin/jaw line, nose, and eyes. He died at age 83 in 1972 of leukemia, according to Appalachian History. 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. 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. During the documentary they interviewed a dr that runs a NICU and he said absolutely many of these babies died from there extremely low birth weight and the adoptive parents would have had no choice but to just discard them. These babies were born between 3.5 and 4.75 lbs.. very unfavorable!! You gotta wonder if this was a routine operation throughout history. If he does, youll want to be in whichever database he decides to use. Have you taken a DNA test yourself? Aug 05, 2015 at 7:11 pm. Dr. Hicks had a granddaughter, Sally Sompayrac, who empathizes with the plight of the Hicks babies. 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. Instead, he illegally sold the babies for approximately $800 to $1,000 each.1. 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. 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. The illegal adoptions stopped in 1964 when Hicks . Dr. Hicks created fake birth certificates and listed the adoptive parents as biological parents. i never thought it was real when i was little either. Hicks performed illegal abortions in the 1950s and 1960s, along with the illegal adoptions, until he faced legal troubles in 1964 for the abortions. 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. Now, they are using the power of DNA to reunite with their biological families. Do you know how that can mentally affect a woman? CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. I have hicks show up in my DNA results. "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. If so, login to add it. "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. These folks deserve to know where they came from! Wow! I know abortion was illegal at the time, and then I think he was running into people who couldnt afford adoptions, he told the New York Post. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. Enter a grandparent's name. She was 6 years old when her adoptive father sat her down about it. 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? Test prices are here: https://thednageek.com/dna-tests/ 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. But honestly, my suggestion would be for them to live for today. Surnames in his family tree include Thomas, Fitch, Green, Waddell, and Johnson. I Just dont understand how anyone could possibly think what he did was right or just or in any way good at all!! To protect their privacy, I have chosen not to mention any of the individuals who were adopted by name in this article. To push the boundaries of DNA science. It is possible that deaths like these convinced Dr. Hicks that something needed to be done.. So no, I cant completely vilify as I just dont know. What he did was completely illegal, but was it less moral than aborting these babies? The series tells the story of a man that stole over 200 babies and sold them on the black market. New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal. Dr. Hicks died of leukemia in 1972 at the age of 83. You have several options when it comes to learning about your DNA, KnowYourDNA is the best source for finding all things related to DNA. In 2020 a 4lb baby as a very good chance of not making it even with amazing NICUs in todays age. TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. Bruen, Matthew Steven. About 15 of the 200+ babies have been reunited with their biological parents. 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. (@Angel5Christine) October 8, 2019. He was a good man, a good-hearted man. Hicks didnt oversee legal adoptions. My parents were a young married couple and very much wanted their baby! During the years that he ran his clinic, the town was at its population peak of between 1,800-2,000 residents. Many people who fell victim to the Hicks baby market hope these DNA tests will help them find closure. If there was no demand for the service, Hicks would not have been doing it. She named him Von Gordon. You can see for yourself google him. Adopting families from out of town often drove up to the door. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. I am watching the TV documentary on Dr. Hicks and do not believe he should be so vilified. 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. 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 I have my ancestory DNA done and would love to try to match some names with my DNA relatives. "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). She said she heard her baby cry then Doc Hicks told her he was still born. Sims Family Tree View These Best Collection, Mishima Family Tree Find Best Design For You. Thats a totally twisted way of thinking!!! Have you taken a DNA test? Before Doctor Hicks opened his practice in Georgia he was just across the state line in Polk County Tennessee in the 1930s. Please! John Stapleton, another one of the Hicks Babies, said he did not think Hicks started in the business for profit. Holy smokes! me are my real parents or not as i am finding out not every thing they told me about family is real. How the hell would YOU feel? In other cases, he said their babies were stillborn and died before or during delivery. What Happened To Dr. Hicks And His Associates? My name is Judy Swafford Walker. You made your decision. They were not, and he sold those babies. To date, no one knows the exact number of babies he stole and sold on . I hope all the people that are involved will find what ever it is they are looking for. Thank you so much. He was married to a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. Dr. Hicks, who passed away at the age of 83, was born in 1888 in Picket County, Tennessee. My heart breaks for your mama and for your whole family. Im sure there are also many, many Hicks babies out there that have no idea they are Hicks babies. He is buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. 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. He may have done it to avoid suspicion and keep the transactions discreet. He delivered many babies in Tennessee before they ran him out of the state. TLC's Taken at Birth, which first aired in 2019, is a three-part . I agree that in those cases he did the right thing, but everything else he did was just horrible! How can this man NOT be vilified?! Some theorized Hicks was buried beside his mausoleum because of concern the grave would be vandalized. Table, Dave. I am wondering if any possible hicks babies that have not found relatives has DNA done? 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. I personally think he is a sociopath and I wonder if he could have been a Serial Killer as well. I can empathize because of some similarities, but I cannot fully understand. I was waiting for one mother to come on and say that they were told that their baby had died, but nope. i come from to sides of a family that are both messed up. Mama had seven more babies after that(Im the youngest)she never stopped grieving for her oldest son. These women often came away from faraway places. 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. There is living proof, with dna, of one man, who along with his twin brother, was reported dead and buried by Dr. Hicks. I grew up with this story from my grandfather when i was little. 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. Her name is Alana honey boo boo if you dont know who she is you can google her. At least 200 babies had their identities stolen. I think he was a good man. It sickens me to see any one make what he did look OKAY! Stories of young girls dying from botched abortions in the early 50s still exist in the living memories of those from the region. I so agree with you. Many are still trying to find their biological relatives. She is a member of a Facebook groups which joins the Hicks babies. The same lecture is offered twiceNovember 1 and 2, 2022to accommodate schedules and time zones. All of Dr. Hicks grandparents were born in Tennessee, as were many of his great-grandparents. A sick, twisted & greedy man. He lied to those women whether they wanted their children or not. This is how those who were adopted can identify the parents or grandparents of their biological parents. Her only health problem was asthma. The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - geni family tree. 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. His name would have been Von Gordon Prince. 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 . $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. My YDNA indicates I am not Hicks. Taken at Birth TrueStory https://t.co/E14faD7AFT pic.twitter.com/cXOtajC4yQ, Sugar Mummy (@findsugarmummy) October 9, 2019. Once they have grouped their DNA matches in to several groups, they can study the descendants of the ancestors to find where they connect to each other. The adopted child or biological mother can call and provide information about their gender and birthdate. Jane needs to get a DNA test and compare it to Doris Abernathy, the town historian. what he did was very wrong and im very sorry for all those kids and parents. Maybe hes out there and will search for you. Cock being laughed at each time someone ask his name. I am happy to offer a dna sample if possible. There is absolutely NO defense for that.He treated these babies like they were nothing more than a puppy mill money making machine. Now, my family has to wonder, is he out there? When families came to his clinic to adopt babies, Hicks made the women pretend they had just given birth. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. Several in the town told the outlet the story was sensationalized. GOOD NIGHT DEAD DAD, GOOD NIGHT GOOD NIGHT. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. 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. I agree totally with you.This all sounds awful. Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok. Aside from families that might eventually tell their adult children, the only hope Hicks babies have of finding their biological relatives is DNA tracking. Until Mother's Day 1997, when his adoptions were exposed. Do you have your fathers original birth certificate? 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'. There are about 200 people, now adults, who are among those who are sometimes referred to as Hicks Babies. 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. The cost is the same for you. Those who likely knew what happened may have died as well. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. THIS POOR WOMAN THOUGHT HER TWIN BOYS HAD DIED. The world is full of possibilities, and you are amazing! Have you checked the adoption registries to see if hes looking for his biological family? Can never know. For him to lie to these women is unforgivable. Dr. Thomas Hicks. Looking for a DNA test that's accurate and can tell you about your health and heritage? She carried him to full term and went to Dr Hicks to deliver her baby! So far, there are no positive DNA matches between babies and parents from the database. I would love to be able to find him or maybe some of his family. Does it say where he was born or the name of the doctor? Somehow I missed this Documentary the first time it aired. Blasio confirmed with the county birth records that she was likely one of the hundreds of babies sold between 1950 and 1965.2. Ive heard that many times in my life by a lot of people. 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. Now fast forward 50 years, memories are skewed, you feel differently now, maybe you wish things were different. Yes, thats a horrible thought. As a result, he could not provide information that would help the babies find their parents or the other way around. I have a great sample of relatives going back many generations. Who is Parent 1 or Parent 2 on Ancestry DNA? 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. Did you like this post? So telling the one mother her twin boys were stillborn is acceptable to you. i just hope i wont go made like them. Dr. Thomas Hicks died of leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Starting in 1955 and running through the early 1960s, Hicks offered secretive abortions and adoptions here. Im sorry but thats a totally twisted way of thinking in my view!! She is a brave woman who helped a lot of people find answers. 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. I dont know the truth, the people involved back THEN know. The six-part, three-night special revisits the case of Dr. Thomas J. Hicks, who sold or gave away more than 200 infants from the '40s to the '60s By Jeff Truesdell Published on October 8, 2019 10: . Thank you for visiting dr thomas hicks family tree page. They were all corrupt! Doctor Hicks was NO saint and we recognize his dysfunction, the pain he caused many, and have learned to bear it, she wrote. Remember that these women had no where else to go, no one to turn to. What years was he operating in TN, and where?
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