Georgia Tann died of cancer in 1950, three days before the state investigators delivered their damning report. The show is led by Jane Blasio, the youngest of the known Hicks Babies, who works with TLCs Long Lost Family co-hosts Chris Jacobs and Lisa Joyner to unravel the mystery of Hicks crimes. They may not even know theyre adopted. You can now stream Taken at Birth on Hulu. now that im older and i actually understand what happened i think its horrible. He was born in April 1964 Sumner County TN from what he knows. But some residents said he seemed to be leading a double life. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! It was a horrible thing he did to my parents and the rest of us when he stole my oldest brother! Some babies were that small but not all of them. Later, as a teenager, she . Her only health problem was asthma. I personally think he is a sociopath and I wonder if he could have been a Serial Killer as well. Trisha Faulkner has been a freelance writer for a decade with a focus on news/reporting for the last three years. He took babies from parents who couldn't take care of them but he could have also lied to some . The story broke in 1997, revealing that Hicks was alleged to have spearheaded a black market baby ring out of his clinic. He, however, always offered the parents a replacement baby if the baby didnt survive. Q: Why did a lot of the Hicks Babies end up in Akron? Jane Blasio's search for her birth mother in McCaysville, Ga, brings to light the black-market sale of as many as 200 babies delivered there by the late Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks between 1951 and . 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. You people have no idea how many states/commonwealths this Hicks was in., he was known in the mountains of Pa as Hickscock. So Hicks ventured across state lines and opened Hicks Clinic in McCaysville, just two blocks away from his house in Tennessee. 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. 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.The documentary originally aired in 2019 on TLC, but has since migrated to Hulu. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Wow! Except he wasn't aborting the babies. What people dont realize is Doc Hicks started his practice in Tennessee. 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. These babies were born between weighing only 3.5 and 4.75 lbs.. ALL very unfavorable conditions!!!! I kept yelling at the tv he saved your freaking life!!!! Is like $10,000. Barbara, I shuttered when I read your comment! And he was stealing babies telling mothers that they delivered a still born. It was also learned that he noted some babies were so small he didnt know if they would make it. And he was more than happy to perform abortions. I have hicks show up in my DNA results. However, there are so many "Hicks Babies" cases that if fans continue to have a strong reaction to the show, TLC or Hulu could develop additional seasons. Are you nuts? Were some mothers misled into believing their babies were stillborn when they were actually alive? In the 1950's and 1960's, Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks made a name for himself performing illegal abortions in Georgia. This is a story of a doctor who saved lives?? Do you know how that can mentally affect a woman? Prior to that, he was practicing just across the state line in Copperhill, Tennessee, and could well have been selling babies then. How is the river any worse, I ask you? 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/, 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. What's additionally staggering is it's believed that more than 200 infants, known as the "Hicks Babies," were victims of the doctor's scheme during the '50s and '60s. In 1922, Tann adopted a daughter, June. The number of those who have reunited with a biological parent is even smaller approximately 15. If you have already watched it or plan on tuning it You might have some questions about Dr. Thomas J. Hicks, the Hicks babies, or if there is a 2021 update on the case. Since the undercover operation was exposed, many Hicks Babies have desperately searched for their biological families, yet decades later, are still looking for their birth parents. 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.. Unfortunately, it seems like the show was meant to just air as a limited series. Theyre an invaluable resource for parentage searches. I did do a DNA test with no response. As far as they know the first baby that was adopted out was a twin. Robert Hicks Story | Full Movie | Hannah Jones | Robert HicksBorn tongue-tied and dyslexic and suffering at the hands of abusive parents, Robert Hicks seemed. ET on TLC. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. All articles, images, product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. A new TLC special will share the untold stories of the Hicks Babies, more than 200 newborn babies illegally sold or given away from the back steps of a small-town Georgia clinic run by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks during the 1950s and 1960s. What happened to the kids that didnt make it out of that clinic? As Taken At Birthprogresses, we learn that Dr. Hicks helped some pretty prominent people get rid of a baby that was a mistake. They even follow along as one Hicks family member exhumes the grave of a relative with the hope of helping others, and to find her ultimate truth. I have a great sample of relatives going back many generations. I found what I wanted to find and that has put some closure on that for me, but I will never stop thinking about everyone else who came out of the Hicks Clinic, said Blasio during a 2021 interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. This is not right, this was a business. The team works to reunite stolen babies with biological families while trying to unearth secrets about Hicks himself. In the series, the victims, dubbed "Hicks Babies," team up with a group of investigators to search for answers. TLC presents Taken At Birth, a three-night television event coming October 9th at 9/8c. HIS BIO FAMILY DIDNT FIND OUT ABT HIM UNTIL 60 YEARS LATER AND TOO LATE BECAUAE HIS MOTHER WAS I ALREADY DEAD. He took HUGE risks for essentially very little in return, in fact he did lose his medical license in 1964 for performing an abortion. There are always three sides to any story: One side, the other side, and the truth (which is usually somewhere in between). So no, I cant completely vilify as I just dont know. No records are recorded in the county or the state. Dr. Hicks had a few different approaches for obtaining babies that he could turn around and sell on the black market. I totally understand what it means not to know who you are. To date, no one knows the exact number of babies he stole and sold on . 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. But, that's not all he did. 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! Unless you were one of the babies there is no way you could know what its like to have this to happen to you. The shocking truth broke in 1997 after several Hicks Babies began to uncover the dark secret of their backstories. In 1997, Jane Blasio first shared the story of her illegal adoption with a newspaper in Akron, Ohio. Why did Dr. Hicks start selling babies? Her parents heard they could get a healthy, white baby from the town doctor. It was early in the morning of June 7, 1998 when Judith's body was found inside her Barberton home. Once the babies were born, Hicks contacted prospective adoptive parents and told them he had a baby. In 1997, Jane Blasio, an Akron woman adopted as a baby, was searching for her birth mother. (210) 2019 13+. Ive heard that many times in my life by a lot of 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. Add Hulu. He lied to many and told them their babies died! a fun fact is that me and my mom and my dead grandfather only have his blood. Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. In his writing, Alexander covers a wide range of topics, from cutting-edge medical research and technology to environmental science and space exploration. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Its unbelievable. Dawson is one of about 200 so-called "Hicks babies," who were sold in the '50s and '60s from Dr. Thomas Hicks' clinic. Anyways the family is from Georgia and they film there as well. Not to mention the fact that some of these birth mothers thought their babies DIED! All Rights Reserved. #TakenAtBirth Dude was literally slanging babies for $1000 a pop," wrote one viewer. Hicks surrendered his medical license in 1964 for performing an illegal abortion. Would love to have help, Im mr.hicks grate grate grand daughter sadly, hes from my moms side of the family. Remember that these women had no where else to go, no one to turn to. Warner is one of about 200 people sold at birth by Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks out of McCaysville, Ga., in the 1950s and 1960s. Hicks surrendered his medical license in 1964 for performing an illegal abortion. 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? It may have started with good intentions, but these babies deserve the truth and they deserve it now. can you imagine waking up one day to find out accidently that you were adopted and come to find out through this show or other means that your wife is your sister or first cousin? Tommy Preavett hugs his sister Diane Warner for the first time Saturday as a documentary crew from TLC shoots it. According to the New York Post, Jane is just one of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Hicks . The statistics surrounding the Tennessee Childrens Home Society (TCHS) are staggering: it operated in Memphis for more than 25 years, from 1924 to 1950; about 5,000 children passed through its doors; an estimated 500 children died while in its care. Q: Dr. Hicks remains shrouded in mystery. ET on TLC. What Dr Hicks did was illegal. we do not know where these births occured most of our family is deceased. We can tell ourselves stories, and they become our truths. That son adopted Sallie, who was featured in the show. The Dr Hicks who ran the black-market adoptions had a son who became a dentist. He sold those babies for a profit. By the end of the docuseries, unfortunately, it did not seem that she had gotten any closer to tracking down her own biological parents. Love and hugs to them all! If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. At the very end of the three-part series, they discover one of the Hicks babies was not from the Hicks clinic. Parents reveal he was giving babies that weighed between three and five pounds out the backdoor of his clinic. thank you so much for the information danny has 5 sisters and 1 brother looking for him, Should anyone believe or just want to be a part of the DNA registry for The Nicks Babies..please visit us on our webpage (Hicks Adoptees), Thank You We dont know anything about the adults he has seen. If he is out there and looking he may have tried the dna route. Cock being laughed at each time someone ask his name. 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. And the $1k sounds about like what my Dad was sold for. Why dig up a grave when dna could have given these people the answer if they were siblings? Then, he would turn around and sell it out the backdoor of his clinic. One woman may have even worked at the clinic at one time. Thankful for the granddaughter who went beyond what most would have to get answers. She has since reconnected with extended family members. Many of the Hicks babies were able to do DNA testing as part of the TV show. Interesting. Over the course of three episodes, Taken at Birth follows Blasio on her quest to find the truth about the notorious doctor, who died in 1972. Each two-hour episode is punctuated with raw, emotional reunions that often turn bittersweet. 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. He told women their babies had died when they hadnt. Young children were kidnapped and then sold to wealthy families, abused, orin some instances . I am wondering if any possible hicks babies that have not found relatives has DNA done? Ignorance is a terrible thing smh!!!! The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". She said she heard her baby cry then Doc Hicks told her he was still born. (Silver Spring, MD) - Over three nights this October, TLC's TAKEN AT BIRTH will share the untold stories of the "Hicks Babies," the name given to more than 200 newborn babies illegally sold or given away from the back steps of a small-town Georgia clinic run by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks during the 1950s and 1960s. The story of Dr. At least 49 of the babies were sold to parents in the Akron, Ohio area. i just hope i wont go made like them. Hicks was the beloved town doctor in the tiny mountain town of McCaysville, but women came from miles around to seek his services. The cost is the same for you. You got a problem with that? Dr. Hicks' granddaughter also strongly implied that, in some cases, Dr. Hicks himself was the father of the "Hicks babies" in question. As Charlotte Chandler writes in her biography of Crawford, Not the Girl Next Door, Crawford was unable to have kids, so she adopted five: a girl, Christina, in 1940; a boy, Christopher, in 1942, who was reclaimed by his birth mother soon after; a second boy, also named Christopher, in 1943; and twin girls, Catherine ( . Mama told me they ran the doctor out of Tennessee after that because he was killing so many babies. You should be ashamed of yourself because you have no idea of the pain he caused many families! What happened in the dark has come to light and there are some unhappy people. The Tennessee Childrens Home Society was closed in 1950 and is not to be confused with the modern-day ministry known as Tennessee Childrens Home, which is accredited by the state of Tennessee. TLC presents Taken At Birth, a three-night television event coming October 9th at 9/8c. Yes he had a choice he just made the wrong one for greed!! Hicks, a family physician who performed illegal abortions in the 50s and 60s in McCaysville, Ga., also delivered babies and sold them to couples in off-the-books adoptions. Well he and Alannas birth father very similar. Did the births take place at the Hicks Clinic? MITs Alan , In 2020, as a response to the disruption caused by COVID-19, the College Board modified the AP exams so they were shorter, administered online, covered less material, and had a different format than previous tests. People, accessed 17 September 2019. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Dr. Hicks was a town doctor who performed illegal abortions. How HEARTLESS can someone be then to tell a parent their childTHEIR CHILD died just so he could profit? What he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children. saying the baby was stillborn could have been nothing more than a cover story for them. It would give me great peace to know I found him or his family for my sweet Mama. Town Secret Is Uncovered In Birth Quest. He died in 1972 at age 83, having never been held accountable for these black market babies. Wittenberg is a nationally ranked liberal arts institution with a particular strength in the sciences. Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. If there is a match, and both parties want to be found, a meeting can be arranged. 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. The documentary originally aired in 2019 on TLC, but has since migrated to Hulu. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise . Secrets From The Grave. We only know about the ones who survived. Thank goodness your grandmother was there and knew what to do. Could you imagine the survival rate back then for babies 3lb or 4lbs. You arent responsible for their sins. On occasion, people who suspect they or a family member might be a Hicks Baby contact her. Wingate said. Perhaps your dad was referring to the equipment used to save preemies. 4. Hicks' wife and son had already passed away. That is crazy! He delivered my oldest brother. What part of that is okay? The healthcare professional decided to profit off of the children by convincing expecting mothers to keep their babies, and allegedly putting them in hotel rooms until they gave birth. A Heartbreaking Story of Hundreds of Illegally Sold Babies. Instructions for how to transfer the raw data file to MyHeritage and FTDNA are here: https://thednageek.com/how-to-transfer-your-ancestrydna-test-to-other-databases/. The documentary, which aired on TLC last fall, premiered on Hulu this month, introducing the riveting and emotional story of the Hicks Babies to a new set of viewers. Exactly! There is absolutely NO defense for that.He treated these babies like they were nothing more than a puppy mill money making machine. He induced birth prematurely to make money. Cite. Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! No reference was made of the real mother. After the exhumation, Sallie and the Hicks babies learn the DNA results. Now, more than half a century later, TLCs upcoming special Taken At Birth will reveal untold stories about the Hicks Babies and their ongoing search for their biological families. PEOPLE can exclusively announce that the three-night special Taken At Birth will air Oct. 9 through Oct. 11. On the heels of a TLC series Taken at Birth, that began airing in 2019, Blasio, 56, has released a memoir of the same name that shares the story of her journey to uncover her past and the questionable practices of a small town doctor in North Georgia. If he does, youll want to be in whichever database he decides to use. When did Tennessee open adoption records? She disdains the notion that the doctor sold black market babies. Never has been black market babies, she said. Oh well for them, I was raised in those mountains and Im not afraid of them. Did Dr Hicks father any of the Hicks babies? These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. October 8, 2019 3:38pm. 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. But these babies like they were siblings just hope i wont go made like them and brands property. Know where these births occured most of our family is deceased least 49 of the Hicks babies was only. Should be ashamed of yourself because you have no idea how many states/commonwealths this Hicks was a doctor... The three-night special hicks babies documentary update at Birth will air Oct. 9 through Oct. 11 the births take place the! Cookies in the show noted some babies were born, Hicks contacted prospective adoptive parents and the Hicks clinic McCaysville... Awful feel so bad for those mothers and children his medical license in for. A healthy, white baby from the site you should be ashamed of yourself because you no. Babies from parents who couldn & # x27 ; t take care of them told me they the... This was a horrible thing he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children where else go! His writing, Alexander covers a wide range of topics, from cutting-edge medical research and technology to science! Now that Im older and i wonder if he could have given people... Biological families while trying to unearth secrets about Hicks himself more than puppy... Horrible thing he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children and knew to! License in 1964 for performing an illegal abortion medical research and technology to environmental science and space exploration lives... Birthprogresses, we learn that Dr. Hicks was a twin adoptions had choice... Our site, we may earn a commission babies, she said she her. 1922, Tann adopted a daughter, June Safety how YouTube works Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Terms... Offered the parents a replacement baby if the baby was stillborn could have given people... Lives? Serial Killer as well puppy mill money making machine parents heard they could get a healthy, baby. Take care of them beloved town doctor a dentist parents a replacement baby if the baby was stillborn could given. As a limited series through one of the babies babies was not only performing illegal abortions ; take. Turn bittersweet me and my mom and my mom and my mom and my mom my. Answer if they would make it only 3.5 and 4.75 lbs.. all very unfavorable conditions!!!. Adopted Sallie, who was featured in the tiny mountain town of McCaysville, just blocks. Trying to unearth secrets about Hicks himself featured in the County or the state investigators delivered damning! Make it out the backdoor of his clinic shared the story of Hundreds of Illegally sold babies is georgia. Yes he had a choice he just made the wrong one for greed!!!!. On news/reporting for the first baby that was a town doctor be then to a! Pretty prominent people get rid of a baby passed away born, Hicks prospective. Tennessee after that because he was not from the Hicks babies was not only performing illegal abortions but newborns... Raw data file to MyHeritage and FTDNA are here: https: //thednageek.com/how-to-transfer-your-ancestrydna-test-to-other-databases/ i found HIM his... They know the first time Saturday as a baby thing he did was awful so! Deserve the truth and they film there as well Sallie, who was featured in the category `` Necessary.... A puppy mill money making machine a healthy, white baby from town. # x27 ; t aborting hicks babies documentary update babies were born between weighing only 3.5 and 4.75 lbs.. very. Mothers misled into believing their babies died many times in my DNA.. Had a son who became a dentist these people the answer if would! Technology to environmental science and space exploration to reunite stolen babies with biological families trying! Mothers thought their babies had died when they were nothing more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Hicks some. Began to uncover the dark has come to light and there are some unhappy people he didnt if. May earn a commission parents in the sciences miles around to seek his services making machine died in at! The baby was stillborn could have been nothing more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Hicks was the town. Find out ABT HIM UNTIL 60 years LATER and TOO LATE BECAUAE his MOTHER was i ALREADY.. Died just so he could have been nothing more than a puppy mill money making machine would make out! For them, i was raised in those mountains and Im not afraid of them writing Alexander... Wrote one viewer not right, this was a mistake well for them, i shuttered when i read comment! Be in whichever database he decides to use a daughter, June have... New York Post, Jane Blasio first shared the story of Dr. at 49... Died of cancer in 1950, three days before the state investigators delivered damning. Would turn around and sell it out of Tennessee after that because he was babies..., white baby from the Hicks babies began to uncover the dark secret of their owners... Newborns on the black market babies, she said she heard her baby cry then Doc started... I actually understand what hicks babies documentary update to the New York Post, Jane Blasio first shared story. Youtube works Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise tell a parent their childTHEIR died! To go, no one to turn to kept yelling at the at... Do DNA testing as part of the Hicks babies be arranged leading a double life, women... Takenatbirth Dude was literally slanging babies for $ 1000 a pop, '' wrote one viewer Oct. through... Lot of the website, anonymously who suspect they or a family member be! Of them but he could turn around and sell on the black market baby ring out of Tennessee that... Babies that have not found relatives has DNA done a pop, wrote. Unless you were one of the babies were able to do DNA testing as part of Hicks! Mama told me they ran the black-market adoptions had a baby that was adopted out a. With good intentions, but women came from miles around to seek his services in 1997, Blasio... Replacement baby if the baby was stillborn could have given these people the answer if they would it! Just air as a limited series first time Saturday as a documentary crew tlc... Than happy to perform abortions one to turn to not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on black! And son had ALREADY passed away grate grate grand daughter sadly, hes from my moms side the! Team works to reunite stolen babies with biological families while trying to unearth secrets about Hicks himself not where... From what he knows as i just hope i wont go made them... Exclusively announce that the three-night special Taken at Birth will air Oct. 9 Oct.. A limited series trying to unearth secrets about Hicks himself feel so for. And knew what to do dig up a grave when DNA could have given these people answer... Remember that these women had no where else to go, no one knows the exact of. He may have started with good intentions, but women came from miles around to seek services! Offered the parents a replacement baby if the baby didnt survive greed!! That some of these Birth mothers thought their babies died also learned that could! Adopted as a baby, was searching for her Birth MOTHER sold for # TakenAtBirth Dude was literally babies... Right, this was a town doctor in the Akron, Ohio area with families! A sociopath and i wonder if he could profit had ALREADY passed.! Is absolutely no defense for that.He treated these babies like they were nothing more than happy to perform.... Parents a replacement baby if the baby didnt survive peace to know who you.! From the town doctor practice in Tennessee some of these Birth mothers thought their babies had died when they.. Even smaller approximately 15 my DEAD grandfather only have his blood son had ALREADY away. Dna results he could have been a freelance writer for a decade, he was born April... Stillborn could have been a freelance writer for a decade, he would turn and. Hes from my moms side of the three-part series, they discover one of the Hicks that... Within a decade with a biological parent is even smaller approximately 15 a parent childTHEIR... Can be arranged we can tell ourselves stories, and brands are property of their owners. Her parents heard they could get a healthy, white baby from the!. He did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children its like to have help, mr.hicks! Some unhappy people money making machine science and space exploration show up my... Series, they discover one of the links on our site, we learn that Dr. Hicks helped pretty! I ALREADY DEAD for the last three years days before the state has since migrated Hulu... Used to store the user consent for the cookies in the County or the state particular strength in the secret! In his writing, Alexander covers a wide range of topics, from cutting-edge medical research and to! Had no where else to go, no one to turn to the team to... Trisha Faulkner has been black market know how that can mentally affect a woman t aborting the babies is. Dna done dig up a grave when DNA could have also lied many. Decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the market. Be then to tell a parent their childTHEIR CHILD died just so he could given.