| Birch on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Family Tree Building Basics for Beginners Book, Use DNA to Trace Your Mexican Family Tree Book, Example of Family Tree DNA Family Finder Results, were discovered more than two decades after Dr. Hicks death. Blasio confirmed with the county birth records that she was likely one of the hundreds of babies sold between 1950 and 1965.2. Those who were adopted have few places to turn to track down their origins. There is living proof, with dna, of one man, who along with his twin brother, was reported dead and buried by Dr. Hicks. Yes, thats a horrible thought. Babies came to the mountains with him and babies left the mountains with him. Im going to play a little devils advocate. 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. Geni requires JavaScript! #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, begins TONIGHT at 9/8c. This type of adoption is just one way that many babies are adopted through illegal, black market adoptions. This was rural Appalachia in the 50s and 60s, a lot of poor families. 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. To give Sallie an answer. Have you taken a DNA test? Thanks, 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? 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 Dr Hicks who ran the black-market adoptions had a son who became a dentist. You people have no idea how many states/commonwealths this Hicks was in., he was known in the mountains of Pa as Hickscock. Are there any unresolved feelings or unanswered questions you're still working to unravel? 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. 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. This man not only took away peoples family history, but ruined their future as well. We will never know the hell they have suffered. Interesting. pic.twitter.com/aTH43ks3Co. Some residents seemed to know the double life he was leading. ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN WERE MESSED UP FROM THIS. Thankful for the granddaughter who went beyond what most would have to get answers. Are you in all of the DNA databases? If there was no demand for the service, Hicks would not have been doing it. There are many people who were adopted at birth who can use similar strategies to learn more about their recent and distant ancestry. What he was doing in a lot of cases is absolutely wrong because of stuff like this. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is the "bad guy" featured in a three-part docuseries titled Taken At Birth. Hicks was providing a service, Ken Rush, director of the Ducktown Basin Museum, told Narratively. How would you feel if you found out a child your told was dead is actually alive I wish Hicks was alive to stand trial for what he did, he had no right. Appalachian History says his daughter is still alive and living in North Carolina. What he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children. Father of Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr; Dr Walter Lynn Hicks and Private If so, login to add it. She did tell me she heard her baby cry and Dr Hicks told her he was still born. His death occurred in 1972, long before any of the children that had been adopted illegally through Dr. Hicks clinic had discovered the truth about their origins. Their lower-priced test is fine for your purposes. There are stories that even suggest that some mothers were told that their babies did not survive at birth. At least one Hicks baby submitted his DNA to Ancestry.com and found a half-sister. That doesnt mean that my heart doesnt break for the pain that these people have gone through and continue to go through. Ideas for Getting Responses from DNA Matches. That $1000. He was her first born and she said she heard him cry yet Dr Hicks told her he was still born. Barbara, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. 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. Despite the illegality of the abortions, Hicks would advertise the service at phone booths, bus stations and bridges, according to Appalachian History. PS Ancestry DNA is a crook. Copyright 2023 The DNA Geek Ascension WordPress theme by, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal, Babies For Sale: The Secret Adoptions That Haunt One Georgia Town, Hicks Baby Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother, Busted not for selling babies, but for the abortion clinic, 23andMe Introduces the Automated Family Tree , The Hicks Babies The DNA Geek | Ups and Downs of Family History V2.0, https://thednageek.com/how-to-transfer-your-ancestrydna-test-to-other-databases/, Book Review: I Know Who You Are, by Barbara Rae-Venter, Up Your DNA Game With New Courses in 2023, Verogen Increases Costs for Law Enforcement Again, A Board of Certification for Investigative Genetic Genealogy Is Announced. I believe that he provided a valuable service, giving women an alternative, giving a baby a chance at life, giving a couple a chance to be parents. According to ABC News, Dr. Hicks convinced a few of these young moms to keep the babies and put them up in a hotel in town until they gave birth. She is a brave woman who helped a lot of people find answers. To push the boundaries of DNA science. Has your family done any dna tests like 23andme or ancestry? Dr Harshi Dhingra is a licensed medical doctor with a specialization in Pathology. It sickens me to see any one make what he did look OKAY! He delivered many babies in Tennessee before they ran him out of the state. He was a good man, a good-hearted man. There was a tip-off, though. 2016. Im sorry but thats a totally twisted way of thinking in my view!! Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. He lied to many and told them their babies died! He also has a granddaughter who is sympathetic to the efforts of the Hicks Babies. I did see it just yesterday. Thank you for visiting dr thomas hicks family tree page. The biological mother was not mentioned, and there was no court record or other official document connecting the babies to their biological parents. Blasio blew the whistle back in the 1990s. If he is out there and looking he may have tried the dna route. Hicks didnt oversee legal adoptions. He was married and had three children. That is when my older brother was born and my mother was told he was still born even though she told me she heard her baby cry. Does it say where he was born or the name of the doctor? Theres a documentary on the Hicks Babies that Im assuming you havent seen. When she woke she only had one baby. . My mother was soooo lucky compared to all of the hudreds of babies Hicks Babies. The story has been featured in many TV specials, including on TLCs, Taken At Birth, which originally aired in 2019. Adopting families from out of town often drove up to the door. TLC "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. She was 23. Im sure there are also many, many Hicks babies out there that have no idea they are Hicks babies. Categories Searching for Biological Family. He took HUGE risks for essentially very little in return, in fact he did lose his medical license in 1964 for performing an abortion. Perhaps your dad was referring to the equipment used to save preemies. Dr. Thomas Hicks died of leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Time is running out. View Ancestry DNA Matches By Ancestor With ThruLines. TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. 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. 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. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. His daughter is living in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. But lets be honest, no one is going to admit that they willingly sold their baby. Please! Would love to have help, Im mr.hicks grate grate grand daughter sadly, hes from my moms side of the family. 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 . All in all, I cannot condemn him. I am wondering if any possible hicks babies that have not found relatives has DNA done? He would sell the babies to parents who wanted to adopt but couldnt afford to do so legally. Stories of young girls dying from botched abortions in the early 50s still exist in the living memories of those from the region. He induced births, told mothers their babies died and sold them! Dr. Hicks was a town doctor who performed illegal abortions. At the very least, she helps them learn more about their birth stories and roots. "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. But honestly, my suggestion would be for them to live for today. Looking for a DNA test that's accurate and can tell you about your health and heritage? It is in Gods hands. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. I have so many thoughts racing through my mind. Are you kidding me. As far as they know the first baby that was adopted out was a twin. Our filters are much different than the ones from that period of time. Dr. Thomas Hicks. Furthermore, over 200 babies! Aside from giving the adopted daughter her answer. 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. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. i hope everything gets better for those kids and those parents. Janice, I am from Polk County Tennessee as well and Dr Hicks delivered my oldest brother before they ran him out of Tennessee. But not all of the babies have been reunited. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. Sims Family Tree View These Best Collection, Mishima Family Tree Find Best Design For You. Bruen, Matthew Steven. In addition, he did serve time in jail in Tennessee for illegally dispensing narcotics in the 1940s. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. The Hicks Community Clinic has been closed for years, but the building still stands. Otherwise he wouldnt have needed to lie about them being stillborn. However, only four of his siblings survived to adulthood. They can arrange a meeting if a match shows up and both sides want to meet. The Hicks babies were babies sold by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks to different families. So that he could make money. Curiously, Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is not buried in a mausoleum that bears his name, but beside it. Now, they are using the power of DNA to reunite with their biological families. And he was more than happy to perform abortions. He was a monster, a murderer, and a kidnapper, but he wasnt a good man doing a good thing for helpless women. Jane needs to get a DNA test and compare it to Doris Abernathy, the town historian. 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. Who is Parent 1 or Parent 2 on Ancestry DNA? My Hicks line starts in New York in 1833. I have hicks show up in my DNA results. Babies were handed out to them through the door or window. what he did was very wrong and im very sorry for all those kids and parents. If it wasnt Hicks, there was someone doing the same thing during the war years adopting babies out to Akron. Remember that these women had no where else to go, no one to turn to. It is suspected that many of them did and there is rumor that perhaps he disposed of those little bodies in the river. The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column. 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. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. Many came forward after their adoptive families said they were from the Hicks clinic. I am watching the TV documentary on Dr. Hicks and do not believe he should be so vilified. But he didn't stop the illegal adoptions. Clickherefor more information. This man was worse than the plague! My husband and I said the same thing while watching this show! 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 may have a couple brothers out there. Kriste Hughes is reunited with her mother, Thelma Tipton, and big brother Roger Tipton, after Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks illegally sold her to adoptive parents . She had particular qualms with the notion of black market babies.. (@Angel5Christine) October 8, 2019. was there more than one Dr. Hicks mentioned in the Taken AT Birth documentary or just one? Maybe hes out there and will search for you. Investigators opened the mausoleum, searching for records of the illegal adoptions, but found it was empty. It was a horrible thing he did to my parents and the rest of us when he stole my oldest brother! saying the baby was stillborn could have been nothing more than a cover story for them. These babies were born between 3.5 and 4.75 lbs.. very unfavorable!! You saw it. You arent responsible for their sins. Think about it, some of these folks could fall in love with a relative and not even know it. Women came to have abortions and he told them it was a successful procedure, only to take that premature baby and sell it to someone. He was arrested for performing illegal abortions in 1964. we do not know where these births occured most of our family is deceased. Dr Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. I realize Dr. Hicks is not here to defend himself or answer questions, but I cannot imagine how you can defend him after what you heard. Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. Expand. I sincerely hope more can make connections before its too late. 2015. First of all, it was a small town clinic and back then it was not unheard of for any woman in a small town to go to a clinic to deliver their baby so to say hes some kind of hero for what he did is beyond disgusting. He ran the Hicks Community Clinic and offered his services to poor copper mining families. Exactly! When she ask Dr Hicks about it he told her it was the medication making her think that. Cock being laughed at each time someone ask his name. Some of those in his town defend his actions, according to Narratively, saying he was providing a service. Dr. Hicks did lose his medical license in 1964 due to an infraction unrelated to the illegal adoptions. We dont know anything about the adults he has seen. Thank you so much. The world is full of possibilities, and you are amazing! my sister some how never got the gene or blood of him. Thank goodness your grandmother was there and knew what to do. He was born October 18, 1888. He also told the mothers that their babies died, gave them death certificates but then sold the baby out the back door for $1000.
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