His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. I hope all the people that are involved will find what ever it is they are looking for. When they opened it up there was great excitement. According . 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. I grew up with this story from my grandfather when i was little. He would sell the babies to parents who wanted to adopt but couldnt afford to do so legally. A three-part documentary, Taken at Birth, follows the story of Dr. Thomas Hicks who illegally arranged black market adoptions for nearly 200 babies, known as "Hicks Babies," in the '50s and '60s. Could you imagine the survival rate back then for babies 3lb or 4lbs. Ray, you bring up an excellent reason why everyone has the right to know who their biological family is. Entombment, Family Mausolem at Crestlawn Cemetery, Copperhill, Tenn. Finch Funeral Home, McCaysville, Ga.NOTE: Dr. Hicks son, Lynn, Jr would also follow in the footsteps of his father & g-father and become a doctor, his daughter Debra died in 1971 from cancer and his daughter, Tamsen became an RN. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Dr. Community Organization. John Stapleton and his sister Cyndy were both sold on a black market as babies. The story is told on Taken at Birth. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. This is a carousel with slides. More than 200 babies, known as the "Hicks Babies," were sold. In treating some unwed mothers or women wanting to terminate their pregnancy, Hicks would pay special attention and would help them to stay at a hotel down the street from his clinic. 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. Appalachian History, accessed 17 September 2019. i am interested in the hicks babies i supposely had a brother who died in the early 1950s i would like to know if he is still alive, DNA geek, In all, hundreds of babies were born and illegally sold out of Hicks Community Clinic in McCaysville, Ga., in the early 1950s to mid 1960s, their real identities completely erased. Sorry! I know this first hand because of how it deeply hurt my mother for many, many years! The birth certificates Ive seen were in the 6-7 lb range. What years was he operating in TN, and where? He was her first born and she said she heard him cry yet Dr Hicks told her he was still born. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. One week later, he sold the newborn for $1000. what he did was very wrong and im very sorry for all those kids and parents. There are always three sides to any story: One side, the other side, and the truth (which is usually somewhere in between). i just hope i wont go made like them. He told some of the biological mothers that they had undergone an abortion. Still, she defends her late grandfathers actions. Taken at Birth TrueStory https://t.co/E14faD7AFT pic.twitter.com/cXOtajC4yQ, Sugar Mummy (@findsugarmummy) October 9, 2019. Dr. Thomas Hicks died more than two decades before the black market baby adoptions came to light, but the doctor was not buried with his secrets. Exactly! When she woke she only had one baby. Perhaps your dad was referring to the equipment used to save preemies. Time is running out. Thomas Hicks McCAYSVILLE, Ga. Family members linked to this person will appear here. At the time. Have you checked the adoption registries to see if hes looking for his biological family? "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. Just horrible! Many in the area didn't want to go up against the legacy of Hicks, who died at the age of 83 in 1972. Dickson and Mrs. George Bradley, both of Kingsport, Tenn. "We Loved Thee for Thy Astute Mind, but We Loved Thee Better for a Heart that was Gentle and Kind. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. I know abortion was illegal at the time, and then I think he was running into people who couldnt afford adoptions, he said. I mean no disrespect towards anyone. New York Times, accessed 17 September 2019. Thomas is 21 degrees from Lance Reddick, 28 degrees from Bruno Cremer, 19 degrees from Angie Dickinson, 17 degrees from Don Knotts, 31 degrees from Jimmy Little, 32 degrees from Helen Mirren, 31 degrees from Pat Morita, 23 degrees from Leslie Nielsen, 21 degrees from Kyra Sedgwick, 21 degrees from Tom Selleck, 21 degrees from Efrem Zimbalist and 18 degrees from David Draper on our single family tree. a fun fact is that me and my mom and my dead grandfather only have his blood. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Blasio went on to help dozens of Hicks babies so they could track down their birth parents and relatives. I owe my life to him, but he has also been the cause of so much pain and suffering. As part of his practice, Hicks performed abortions, which were illegal at the time. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. How Did Hicks Black Market Babies Business Work? Did the births take place at the Hicks Clinic? Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Weve updated the security on the site. Many came forward after their adoptive families said they were from the Hicks clinic. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. But officials found it empty. So that he could make money. Blairsville, GA 30512 (706) 745-2156. Try again. Im not saying he was perfect. He let loose some real chaos into this world.. Many of those from Hicks small town defended his actions. When families came to his clinic to adopt babies, Hicks made the women pretend they had just given birth. Try again later. His grave, however, is a bit of a mystery. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. My heart aches for your mother and your whole family. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Mama said they ran him out of Tennessee not long after that because he was killing so many babies. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Thomas Hicks (9119259)? She hopes DNA testing will enable them to find their birth parents. Her name is Alana honey boo boo if you dont know who she is you can google her. This is a different story than what I expected! THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION 06 March 1972Dr. 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. This practice was tolerated by the community and he normally was allegedly paid about $100 to perform the illegal practice. They theorized he was buried next to the mausoleum, instead of inside of it, so his body was not disturbed, according to the article. I owe my life to him, but he has also been the cause of so much pain and suffering. Powered by. Bloomington, Pickett County, Tennessee, USA. ABC News, accessed 17 September 2019. Busted not for selling babies, but for the abortion clinic. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Union Memory Gardens Cemetery 430 Ledford Rd. The new lab, housed in the center's computer area, features more, Seeing the news about the city starting to close the Station Street area around some night spots at 1 a.m. reminded me once again that young people can get a little rowdy. Looking for a DNA test that's accurate and can tell you about your health and heritage? Are you on drugs. i never thought it was real when i was little either. GOOD NIGHT DEAD DAD, GOOD NIGHT GOOD NIGHT. New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal. She is survived. i hope everything gets better for those kids and those parents. Jean Elizabeth Byrd, 90, of McCaysville, Georgia, originally of the Florida Keys, passed away Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at her home in McCaysville, GA. Jean was born August 21, 1932, in Safe Harbor, PA to Harry and Helen Herman. No matter where they grew upmost often in the industrial cities of Ohiotheir birth certificates said they were born in the Hicks Clinic in McCaysville, Georgia. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn more about yourself. She travels to McCaysville and enlists TLCs Long Lost Family hosts Chris Jacobs and Lisa Joyner to help investigate. I think, at first, it was under the table, and then he had seen there was money involved. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 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. 1478 Blue Ridge Dr. Blue Ridge, Ga. 30513, McCaysville, GA, 30555. Blasio was undeterred. What he did has no merit. Find contact information, view maps, and more. Hed encourage them to put their babies up for adoption instead. They were all corrupt! cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. With the judges help, she learned that the clinic sold babies while they were still open. Yes he had a choice he just made the wrong one for greed!! Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. In the early 1950s, Hicks reportedly began advertising illegal abortion and adoption services on phone booths, bus stations, and bridges. Doctor Hicks was NO saint and we recognize his dysfunction, the pain he caused many, and have learned to bear it, she wrote. Search above to list available cemeteries. I do hope your brother survived and is out there somewhere. Women came by bus, car and train to pay $100 to "fix their problem." PS Ancestry DNA is a crook. The television program Nightline spoke with several people who have found out theywere Hicks Babies and assisted them to provide DNA samples with the genealogy website Ancestry.com. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, a doctor was selling babies from his small town abortion clinic in the heart of McCaysville, Georgia. Hopefully he got his comeuppance. Narratively, accessed 17 September 2019. He gave the adoptive parents a fake birth certificate and left no records of the birth mothers. And then today, with abortions being legal, aborted babies are having their body parts SOLD what a repugnant thought. i am from polk county tenn we are trying to find if our brother danny is still alive we have learned 3 dead babies in my family it is interesting. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. He was in denial, says Stapleton. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is the "bad guy" featured in a three-part docuseries titled Taken At Birth. The second would have been no later than 1962. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Hicks had a well earning through his clinic, "Hicks Community Clinic" where he secretly sold hundreds of babies illegally as $1000 for a child to the adoptive . I dont know the truth, the people involved back THEN know. My heart breaks for your mama and for your whole family. She is a brave woman who helped a lot of people find answers. "A Brave Soldier in WWII. The Real Story of Thomas J. Hicks, the Man Behind the Black Market Adoption Scandal, 24 Celebrities Reveal Their Favorite Books, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. This browser does not support getting your location. Aside from giving the adopted daughter her answer. We just were not there and will never know his thoughts. TLCs "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. Unless you were one of the babies there is no way you could know what its like to have this to happen to you. Jane needs to get a DNA test and compare it to Doris Abernathy, the town historian. Search above to list available cemeteries. based on information from your browser. On the documentary the officer in the second episode claimed he gave a relative of his a shot and she died 30min later. Bragg, Rick. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. My Mama and Dad were married and biological parents to my brother. And most of these women were likely unmarried, which was a huge no-no at the time. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. 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. That $1000. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. It has come too late for others as their real parents have died. 0 cemeteries found in Polk County, Tennessee, USA. His daughter is living in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. So no, I cant completely vilify as I just dont know. THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION 06 March 1972 Dr. Thomas Hicks McCAYSVILLE, Ga. - Services for Dr. Thomas J. Hicks, Sr., 83, of McCaysville will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Finch's Chapel here, burial in Crestlawn Cemetery in Copperhill, Tenn. Dr. Hicks, who operated Hicks' Clinic from around 1945 until he retired in 1965, died of leukemia Sunday. Please enter your email and password to sign in. You can always change this later in your Account settings. I would like to find more answers. "It was just an investigation, and I don't like being told no," she. What he did was completely illegal, but was it less moral than aborting these babies? She did not go to him for an abortion or to give her baby away. Hicks was performing abortions long before Roe. 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. All in all, I cannot condemn him. Aside from families that might eventually tell their adult children, the only hope Hicks babies have of finding their biological relatives is DNA tracking. Hicks, a family physician who performed illegal abortions in the 50s and 60s in McCaysville, Ga. gc. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Thank you. She was 23. Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok. Is Sermon Topic At Middle Valley Church Of God On Sunday, Holston United Methodists Finalize Departure Of 264 Congregations, Including Several Locally. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. He was born October 18, 1888. Thats a totally twisted way of thinking!!! Before Doctor Hicks opened his practice in Georgia he was just across the state line in Polk County Tennessee in the 1930s. But advocates hope it will someday happen. ). He was protecting himself & looking out for his own financial interest!!! 23andMe is on sale right now, so its a good time to buy. Failed to delete flower. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. I found on Findagrave.com. He lied to many and told them their babies died! Hicks' beliefs did not fully mesh with abortions, and he would . And the $1k sounds about like what my Dad was sold for. My name is Judy Swafford Walker. I agree totally with you.This all sounds awful. She did tell me she heard her baby cry and Dr Hicks told her he was still born. "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. Hicks lied, blatantly, to some of these women, hell probably 90% of them. It turned into a business. But there was nothing in it. She always thought she had a boy out there somewhere. Ive heard the same story over and over, that the mother heard her baby cry but was told it was stillborn. Many had no idea they were adopted until well into adulthood. 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. 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. He did not have any choice but to lie on the birth certificates. 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? Stories of young girls dying from botched abortions in the early 50s still exist in the living memories of those from the region. 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. I know abortion was illegal at the time, and then I think he was running into people who couldnt afford adoptions, he says. This lecture will be retired after this offering, so dont miss out! Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. 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. His forged birth certificates did not list biological parents. I still dont know, Melinda told Narratively. I do truly feel for the Hicks babies for not knowing; I know that must be hard. I dont know. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. my sister some how never got the gene or blood of him. Jean was preceded in death by her father, Harry Herman; mother, Helen Herman, and husband Eugene Reed. I was convinced something was in there, Linda told Narratively. Oops, we were unable to send the email. At least 49 of the babies were sold to parents in the Akron, Ohio area. The doctor persuaded some of the women who came to him for abortions to carry their pregnancies to term, and then sold the infants to couples for $800 to $1,000. I wondering how far the rabbit hole goes with him. She was present when authorities opened the mausoleum. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Instead, he illegally sold the babies for approximately $800 to $1,000 each.1. Year should not be greater than current year. We have set your language to Dr. Hicks died of leukemia in 1972 at the age of 83. Once the women gave birth, Dr. Hicks would allegedly tell the unsuspecting moms that he had found adoptive parents for the children. Are you kidding me. Those who were adopted have few places to turn to track down their origins. Thus, the legacy of Dr. Thomas Hicks remains an unanswered mystery of many residents in the dual border towns of Copperhill-McCaysville. He was inducing them around 30 weeks handing out 4lb babies to people. Dr Hicks ran a clinic in McCaysville, Georgia, from about 1945 to 1965. Just recently I have been confirmed to be the last of the Hicks babies. What he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children. The extra mouths to feed were simply too expensive. John and Cyndy were just two of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Thomas Hicks, a doctor in McCaysville, Ga., who was selling babies out of the back door of his clinic in the 1950s and 60s. He reportedly performed abortions, which were illegal at the time, for $100. Hicks would not have been doing it. Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. Jane Blasio, The Hicks Baby Who Broke the Black Market Baby Adoption Case: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Rev. The charges didnt mention that he sold babies or had them illegally adopted. 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. It sickens me to see any one make what he did look OKAY! One of those babies he delivered in Tennessee was my oldest brother who was supposedly still born. 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. This man told women that their babies had died or were stillborn. Hed do anything for anybody sometimes hed pay a price for it, she said. The illegal adoptions stopped in 1964 when Hicks was caught committing a different crime abortion. 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). Try again. My decision is there was something very wrong going on. Dr Hicks induced some babies early, and they would have been put in incubators had then been born that early today. His wife and son both passed away, and his daughter lives in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. Oops, we were unable to send the email. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. 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. A system error has occurred. 656 F&AM. One thousand dollars in 1955 would be nearly $10,000 today. Some residents seemed to know the double life he was leading. He and Mrs. Hicks were so kind to so many people. But not all of the babies have been reunited. we are not in the dna data bases but i would be glad to give my dna to find out what happened just point me in the right direction i will be watching tlc hicks babies. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Despite the illegality of the abortions, Hicks would advertise the service at phone booths, bus stations and bridges, according to Appalachian History. Were it not for him encouraging these women to have their babies, these children would have never been given a chance at life. The same lecture is offered twiceNovember 1 and 2, 2022to accommodate schedules and time zones. Charles C. Duncan officiating. I had a brother who was given up for adoption by his mother in Tennessee. As a matter of fact she grieved the rest of her life for her first born she thought had died! Anyways the family is from Georgia and they film there as well. He reportedly performed abortions, which were illegal at the time, for $100. Is like $10,000. They wanted to be rid of their babies and were desperate. I think, at first, it was under the table, and then he had seen there was money involved. Facebook But he didnt know about the black market.. Thomas Hicks McCAYSVILLE, Ga. - Services for Dr. Thomas J. Hicks, Sr., 83, of McCaysville will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Finch's Chapel here, burial in Crestlawn Cemetery in Copperhill, Tenn. Dr. Hicks, who operated Hicks' Clinic from around 1945 until he retired in 1965, died of leukemia Sunday. Natalie. He was a good man, a good-hearted man. 2017. At-home DNA testing wasnt available until recently. If he was truly compassionate and a good man he would not have lied to the mothers and told them they delivered a stillborn baby or that the baby died. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Hicks gave up his medical license in 1964 after he was indicted on charges of .css-1e1wdvt{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#0A5C80;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1e1wdvt:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:#0A5C80;}performing an illegal abortion.
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