My mother was soooo lucky compared to all of the hudreds of babies Hicks Babies. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. So yes he should be vilified! That is crazy! What we have now is the mothers side of the story. I will find out who my mother was and why my dad was killed. a fun fact is that me and my mom and my dead grandfather only have his blood. we do not know where these births occured most of our family is deceased. In next week's column, this family's lineage will be continued with the family and history of Samuel Hicks (2). ABC News, accessed 17 September 2019. 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. For perspective, $1000 in 1950 is equal to about $10,900 in todays dollars. in todays market he did make money, he also induced those women into early labor to push those babies out putting the babies and mothers in jeopardy(I wonder how many died). He was born October 18, 1888. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, a doctor was selling babies from his small town abortion clinic in the heart of McCaysville, Georgia. Now, they are using the power of DNA to reunite with their biological families. I still dont know, one of the Hicks Babies, Melinda, told the publication. If hes alive, hopefully hell see the TV show and decide to test. He was a good man, a good-hearted man. 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. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn more about yourself. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3186644/Adopted-woman-51-SO Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr worked as Physician. pic.twitter.com/3dg3CRes3u. Father of Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr; Dr Walter Lynn Hicks and Private My oldest would have been born in Akron in 1960. They can arrange a meeting if a match shows up and both sides want to meet. 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. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. Have The Hicks Babies Been Reunited With Their Birth Parents Or Birth Families? 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. Maybe hes out there and will search for you. She was 6 years old when her adoptive father sat her down about it. How is the river any worse, I ask you? 4. pic.twitter.com/77eyWNLdHM. Theyre an invaluable resource for parentage searches. They were not, and he sold those babies. How can you condone that? Could you imagine the survival rate back then for babies 3lb or 4lbs. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. https://thednageek.com/dna-tests. Dr. Hicks died a disgrace in 1972, one year before the Roe v. Wade decision. Shame on him and all those who covered for him and his horrific lies. The sentiments were echoed in other news stories. Dr Hicks told some of the mothers that their babies died, then he sold them. His forged birth certificates did not list biological parents. Who is Parent 1 or Parent 2 on Ancestry DNA? Besides his charitable practices, he performed unauthorized abortions. Bloomington, Pickett, Tennessee, United States, Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks & Chass Copeland, marriage record, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9119259, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-06-mn-10123-story.html, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/23/us/town-secret-is-uncovered-in-birth-quest.html, https://www.distractify.com/p/dr-hicks-taken-at-birth, https://narratively.com/babies-for-sale-the-secret-adoptions-that-haunt-one-georgia-town/, https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a29403041/who-is-dr-thomas-j-hicks/, https://nypost.com/2019/10/08/black-market-babies-reunited-after-more-than-50-years/, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hicks-babies-trying-to-find-their-roots-decades-later/, https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/investigations/decades-old-secret-adoptions-solved-by-modern-dna-for-akron-area-families/95-597582808, https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2014/jun/22/seeking-family-links/250410/, https://globintel.com/usa/dr-thomas-hicks-wiki-taken-at-birth/, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSZD-WWR, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGFJ-W52, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ6P-BJM, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNX9-1PS, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN5X-3HV, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPQ5-SW1, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4ZJ-HRF, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JRRC-NPT, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:McCaysville%2C_Georgia, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. He was protecting himself due to his many illegitimacies & looking out for his own financial interest!!! Hicks was the beloved town doctor in the tiny mountain town of McCaysville, but women came from miles around to seek his services. To date, seven of the biological mothers have come forward. His name would have been Von Gordon Prince. Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! Investigators opened the mausoleum, searching for records of the illegal adoptions, but found it was empty. These include the nurse, the secretary who signed the false documents, Hicks lawyer, and the sheriff who investigated Hicks illegal abortion clinic. Hed ask them to put on a medical gown and lay down on a table. Who was Thomas J. Hicks? I wondering how far the rabbit hole goes with him. And most of these women were likely unmarried, which was a huge no-no at the time. We dont know anything about the adults he has seen. He gave them good care. People, accessed 17 September 2019. Thank you for visiting dr thomas hicks family tree page. Cock being laughed at each time someone ask his name. She always thought she had a boy out there somewhere. There is living proof, with dna, of one man, who along with his twin brother, was reported dead and buried by Dr. Hicks. $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. Dr. Hicks was a town doctor who performed illegal abortions. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. Are you kidding me. 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)? Table, Dave. Were it not for him encouraging these women to have their babies, these children would have never been given a chance at life. I can empathize because of some similarities, but I cannot fully understand. She is a brave woman who helped a lot of people find answers. Hed encourage them to put their babies up for adoption instead. 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. Women came to give birth, and were told their babies were stillborn! 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. I am from Tennessee before Dr Hicks moved across the state line to McCaysville Ga. 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. And he gave the babies to equally desperate childless parents. Aside from giving the adopted daughter her answer. This lecture will be retired after this offering, so dont miss out! 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? We just were not there and will never know his thoughts. Father of Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr; Dr Walter Lynn Hicks and Private It would give me great peace to know I found him or his family for my sweet Mama. Those who are among the babies that were adopted through the Hicks Clinic can take DNA tests to help discover who their biological parents might have been. What he was doing in a lot of cases is absolutely wrong because of stuff like this. What he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children. Dr Harshi Dhingra is a licensed medical doctor with a specialization in Pathology. Oh well for them, I was raised in those mountains and Im not afraid of them. This man was worse than the plague! He also has a living granddaughter named Sally Sompayrac. HE WAS A HORRIBLE MAN, JUST HORRIBLE!!! One thousand dollars in 1955 would be nearly $10,000 today. Did you like this post? Do you have your fathers original birth certificate? I do hope your brother survived and is out there somewhere. The method of the illegal adoptions has left many questions for those who started their lives in Hicks clinic. When they opened it up there was great excitement. Then hed place a baby in their arms. The news captivated many outside McCaysville. . These folks deserve to know where they came from! You should be ashamed of yourself because you have no idea of the pain he caused many families! I would love to be able to find him or maybe some of his family. My dad moved us to New Mexico when I was in my early teens but I have a brother who stayed in Michigan. How Did People Find Out About the Hicks Babies? Dr. Hicks was married and had two kids a son and a daughter. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. If you find ANYTHING humane or OKAY about that then God so help you! Never has been black market babies, she told WKYC. However, only four of his siblings survived to adulthood. #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, begins TONIGHT at 9/8c. she weighed a little over 4lbs I wonder if theres any connection between those doctors. Some birth mothers knew they were placing a baby for adoption, some thought they had an abortion, and some were told their . Those who were adopted have few places to turn to track down their origins. Janice, I am from Polk County Tennessee as well and Dr Hicks delivered my oldest brother before they ran him out of Tennessee. The method of the illegal adoptions has left many questions for those who started their lives in Hicks clinic. Join the search for truth. "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (. But many aspects of his clinic remain a mystery to this day. 1997. She was present when authorities opened the mausoleum. What he did was completely illegal, but was it less moral than aborting these babies? If he does, youll want to be in whichever database he decides to use. My YDNA indicates I am not Hicks. #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, begins Wednesday at 9/8c. 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'. He delivered many babies in Tennessee before they ran him out of the state. I only wish Mama had lived long enough to know her baby is most likely alive. Holy smokes! Geni requires JavaScript! He also delivered the babies early, between 31 & 34 wks causing them to have low birthweight and health issues. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column. These babies were born between 3.5 and 4.75 lbs.. very unfavorable!! At the very least, she helps them learn more about their birth stories and roots. i hope everything gets better for those kids and those parents. A sick, twisted & greedy man. Login to find your connection. That doesnt mean that my heart doesnt break for the pain that these people have gone through and continue to go through. 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? He would sell the babies to parents who wanted to adopt but couldnt afford to do so legally. Many of those from Hicks small town defended his actions. about dr thomas hicks family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. 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. Mama said they ran him out of Tennessee not long after that because he was killing so many babies. 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. Barbara, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. The extra mouths to feed were simply too expensive. 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. All of Dr. Hicks grandparents were born in Tennessee, as were many of his great-grandparents. Some residents seemed to know the double life he was leading. He reportedly performed abortions, which were illegal at the time, for $100. The reason I am writing is this. Learn how your comment data is processed. "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 2016. Corinthios, Aurelie. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. 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. These women often came away from faraway places. She carried him to full term and went to Dr Hicks to deliver her baby! I Just dont understand how anyone could possibly think what he did was right or just or in any way good at all!! The birth certificates Ive seen were in the 6-7 lb range. In the small town, the. Did your mother give birth in Akron or in McCaysville? 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. And the $1k sounds about like what my Dad was sold for. My name is Judy Swafford Walker. Remember that these women had no where else to go, no one to turn to. Blasio confirmed with the county birth records that she was likely one of the hundreds of babies sold between 1950 and 1965.2. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. Both of Dr. Hicks' parents were born in Tennessee. The judge discovered records showing an unusual number of women visiting Hicks clinic. 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. That son adopted Sallie, who was featured in the show. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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 never thought it was real when i was little either. 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.
