We can tell ourselves stories, and they become our truths. Categories: Fannin County, Georgia | McCaysville, Georgia | Hicks Clinic, McCaysville, Georgia, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. To give Sallie an answer. His wife and son have both passed away. The birth certificates Ive seen were in the 6-7 lb range. 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? 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. As far as they know the first baby that was adopted out was a twin. Husband of Chass Chassie Hicks You got a problem with that? now that im older and i actually understand what happened i think its horrible. 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 . Aside from giving the adopted daughter her answer. 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. Town Secret Is Uncovered In Birth Quest. 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. amd im 13 so i have a long way to go . Babies came to the mountains with him and babies left the mountains with him. He also has a living granddaughter named Sally Sompayrac. Some residents seemed to know the double life he was leading. 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. Thank you. We just were not there and will never know his thoughts. One thousand dollars in 1955 would be nearly $10,000 today. His daughter is living in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. You really have no idea what you are talking about! Many of the Hicks babies were able to do DNA testing as part of the TV show. In next week's column, this family's lineage will be continued with the family and history of Samuel Hicks (2). 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. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As a matter of fact she grieved the rest of her life for her first born she thought had died! The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. Genealogy for Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. What Happened to Dr. Thomas Hicks? More than 200 babies, known as the "Hicks Babies," were. I sincerely hope more can make connections before its too late. But there was nothing in it. Wow! 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. DNA ancestry testing offers a way for people interested in family history (genealogy) to, Our Verdict: My reports from GPS Origins arent nearly as comprehensive as the ones, FamilyTreeDNA has tons of features and information that you wont get with most of, There are plenty of cheap DNA tests you can purchase if you want to, The offerings from each DNA testing service vary wildly, so it can be difficult. We only know about the ones who survived. Yes, thats a horrible thought. 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. 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. Just horrible! Adopting families from out of town often drove up to the door. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. I am the youngest of seven siblings. All in all, I cannot condemn him. Sims Family Tree View These Best Collection, Mishima Family Tree Find Best Design For You. Brother of Lucy Elizabeth Ketron; John Willie Hicks; Samuel Earnest Hicks; Infant Daughter Hicks and Carrie Ellen Dickson. 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 . Hicks performed illegal abortions in the 1950s and 1960s, along with the illegal adoptions, until he faced legal troubles in 1964 for the abortions. I was warned about ever asking those questions again, this man said I know who you are, please let it alone. 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. Dr Hicks sold over 200 babies from his clinic in McCaysville during the 50s and 60s Credit: YouTube. What Happened To Dr. Hicks And His Associates? Ignorance is a terrible thing smh!!!! Who was Thomas J. Hicks? Thank you. Learn how three Hicks babies were able to find biological family using DNA. He did not have any choice but to lie on the birth certificates. Doctor Hicks was NO saint and we recognize his dysfunction, the pain he caused many, and have learned to bear it, she wrote. As a result, he could not provide information that would help the babies find their parents or the other way around. My mother/father picked me up from a nurse in a hotel in 1967. 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. v. Wade legalized abortions. Expand. I dont know. He lost his medical license in 1964, but he faced no jail time for the illegal abortions. Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. Theres nothing there, Linda, one of the Hicks Babies, told Narratively. THIS POOR WOMAN THOUGHT HER TWIN BOYS HAD DIED. The same lecture is offered twiceNovember 1 and 2, 2022to accommodate schedules and time zones. 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. Today, these babies are referred to as "Hicks babies.". 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'. 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. Have you taken a DNA test yourself? Test prices are here: https://thednageek.com/dna-tests/ So for that reason, I think were putting too much faith in these womens stories. She was present when authorities opened the mausoleum. Shame on him and all those who covered for him and his horrific lies. In a small town filled with economical hardships, Hicks saw a need among pregnant women, although abortions conflicted with his faith, according to Narratively. Would love your thoughts, please comment. How Did People Find Out About the Hicks Babies? Enter a grandparent's name. He induced labor and delivered low birth weight babies that were in danger of dying. "Tennessee State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNX9-1PS: 4 December 2014), Thos J Hicks and Chassie Copeland, 07 Jun 1917; from "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: 2008); citing p. 222, Polk, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee. Have you taken a DNA test? 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. AND IN ALL ACTUALITY HICKS LIED TO HER TO GET HER TWIN BOYS AND MADE OVER 2000 OFF OF HER PAIN. The son, Gillam Thomas Hicks, and his family will be featured in next week's column. Barbara, the very same thing happened to my Mother. The series tells the story of a man that stole over 200 babies and sold them on the black market. For over 50 years this small town has been hiding a shocking secret. 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. As I say, not perfect, but a good man, Doris Abernathy told WKYC. Thomas, or Dr. Hicks, was one of six children. A fake birth certificate was produced, listing the adoptive parents as the parents of the child. Aug 05, 2015 at 7:11 pm. 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. His parents were David Fleming Hicks and Mary Louise Holt. We will never know the hell they have suffered. Maybe hes out there and will search for you. I did see it just yesterday. I grew up with this story from my grandfather when i was little. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. He was arrested for performing illegal abortions in 1964. "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. Ive heard that many times in my life by a lot of people. There is absolutely NO defense for that.He treated these babies like they were nothing more than a puppy mill money making machine. Not a mother who wanted to give her baby up for adoption, but a mother who trusted her doctor? 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. Dr. Hicks died of leukemia in 1972 at the age of 83. To date, no one knows the exact number of babies he stole and sold on . Blasio confirmed with the county birth records that she was likely one of the hundreds of babies sold between 1950 and 1965.2. Jane Blasio, The Hicks Baby Who Broke the Black Market Baby Adoption Case: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. I kept yelling at the tv he saved your freaking life!!!! But those he left behind have differing opinions on his actions. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. 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. How is the river any worse, I ask you? Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok. Dr. Hicks obviously cannot give his side of the story. I know your heart aches. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. Are you on drugs. Sompayrac believes her grandfathers actions helped the birth mothers in need and gave the babies life. Thanks, So telling the one mother her twin boys were stillborn is acceptable to you.