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 . The charges didnt mention that he sold babies or had them illegally adopted. 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! He also has a living granddaughter named Sally Sompayrac. 23andMe is on sale right now. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. This man told women that their babies had died or were stillborn. There was a problem getting your location. Before Doctor Hicks opened his practice in Georgia he was just across the state line in Polk County Tennessee in the 1930s. He took HUGE risks for essentially very little in return, in fact he did lose his medical license in 1964 for performing an abortion. That is crazy! Hicks was the beloved town doctor in the tiny mountain town of McCaysville, but women came from miles around to seek his services. If he is out there and looking he may have tried the dna route. My husband and I said the same thing while watching this show! Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. The Akron, Ohio, native and his adopted sister Cyndy were black-market babies, acquired through an elaborate baby-selling operation run by a Georgia physician. 116 reviews Leave a review . My parents were a young married couple and very much wanted their baby! But those he left behind have differing opinions on his actions. I would be afraid to change anything.. Jane Blasio was born in McCaysville, Georgia and sold from the Hicks Community Clinic by Dr. Thomas Hicks.She learned that she was adopted as a young child, but the details surrounding her birth . Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. 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. Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, a doctor was selling babies from his small town abortion clinic in the heart of McCaysville, Georgia. I have had two of my children die. 'Hicks Baby' Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother, Who are the Hicks babies? Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. A Skilled and Talented Physician, He Lived, Served and Died for Others. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. 2015. based on information from your browser. We tried to contact him during the filming. TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. She noted to the TV station many of them went to good homes and led successful lives. Doctor Hicks was NO saint and we recognize his dysfunction, the pain he caused many, and have learned to bear it, she wrote. Otherwise he wouldnt have needed to lie about them being stillborn. My brother was born in the middle 1930s. what he did was very wrong and im very sorry for all those kids and parents. The illegal adoptions stopped in 1964 when Hicks was caught committing a different crime abortion. His wife and son have both passed away. 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. Some of those in his town defend his actions, according to Narratively, saying he was providing a service. He is buried right beside it, but not in it. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. But still, deep down, Stapleton has a desire to learn more about his birth family. Survivors include a son, Dr. Thomas J. Hicks of Atlanta; daughter Mrs. Reid L. Brown of Chattanooga, Tenn., and sisters Mrs. J.W. John Stapleton and his biological half sister Atress Davis, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Dear Abby: My girlfriend cheated on me, she says I should be more confident, Dear Abby: My daughter's fiance had secret children, Dear Abby: My brother refuses to visit our 100-year-old mom, Were conjoined twins but only one of us has a boyfriend. In 2020 a 4lb baby as a very good chance of not making it even with amazing NICUs in todays age. 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. If so, login to add it. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. 2017. Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Those who likely knew what happened may have died as well. Just watched the documentary. Try again later. Today, these babies are referred to as "Hicks babies.". 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. 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. There is a problem with your email/password. Many in the area didn't want to go up against the legacy of Hicks, who died at the age of 83 in 1972. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a small-town Georgia doctor who was posthumously accused of selling hundreds of babies in illegal adoptions. Im not saying he was perfect. But he has found solace in the large network of Hicks babies who share resources, dejection and hope. AND IN ALL ACTUALITY HICKS LIED TO HER TO GET HER TWIN BOYS AND MADE OVER 2000 OFF OF HER PAIN. My YDNA indicates I am not Hicks. 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. 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. However, Hicks mausoleum does not hold his body, according to Narratively. Is like $10,000. English 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. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. People, accessed 17 September 2019. My mother was soooo lucky compared to all of the hudreds of babies Hicks Babies. Evil does not begin to describe this man. In 1964 he surrendered his medical license for performing an illegal abortion. The "Hicks Babies" explore their past in TLC's "Taken at Birth.". Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. His birth certificate when he ent into the service was different than the one his parents had, so all I know its June 19 or 20, 1941. Many people who fell victim to the Hicks baby market hope these DNA tests will help them find closure. Book Review: I Know Who You Are, by Barbara Rae-Venter, Up Your DNA Game With New Courses in 2023. Once the women gave birth, Dr. Hicks would allegedly tell the unsuspecting moms that he had found adoptive parents for the children. Weve updated the security on the site. The Dr Hicks who ran the black-market adoptions had a son who became a dentist. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. It is in Gods hands. What if, you are a scared young woman, 16 or 17 or even 19, pregnant in rural GA or TN, shame ridden as some would have felt, just wanting this to be taken care of. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Rev. She never got over it. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. We will never know the hell they have suffered. ABC News, accessed 17 September 2019. He gave them good care. she weighed a little over 4lbs I wonder if theres any connection between those doctors. This man not only took away peoples family history, but ruined their future as well. She was 6 years old when her adoptive father sat her down about it. Many in the town told Narratively the black market babies story was sensationalized in the media. Why dig up a grave when dna could have given these people the answer if they were siblings? 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. Please enter your email and password to sign in. At-home DNA testing wasnt available until recently. Hopefully he got his comeuppance. He did a lot for this town, she said. my sister some how never got the gene or blood of him. He is buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. This practice was tolerated by the community and he normally was allegedly paid about $100 to perform the illegal practice. "They were instructed to come downcome through the front door, pick the baby up and leave through the back door and, and go home immediately," Dawson said. The method of the illegal adoptions has left many questions for those who started their lives in Hicks clinic. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. He surrendered his Georgia medical license to halt his prosecution.2. I agree totally with you.This all sounds awful. I know abortion was illegal at the time, and then I think he was running into people who couldnt afford adoptions, he told the New York Post. You arent responsible for their sins. The townspeople believed he encouraged pregnant women who came to him to carry their babies to term instead. View upcoming funeral services, obituaries, and funeral flowers for Finch-Cochran Funeral Home in McCaysville, GA, US. I think, at first, it was under the table, and then he had seen there was money involved. My decision is there was something very wrong going on. More patients turning to text message diagnosis for everyd Dad of crying infant that triggered Texas massacre 'never thought' gunman would shoot, Georgia player under fire after racist remark during 2023 NFL Draft on livestream, Megyn Kelly sports red MAGA-style hat in poolside pic, Gayle King says she doesnt have a desire to retire: I want more work, WNBA star Brittney Griner is heading to the Met Gala, Mariah Carey celebrates Moroccan and Monroes 12th birthday: My babies, NY Post Sports Reporter Zach Braziller breaks down the Knicks game 1 loss to the Heat, Kendall Jenner rocks sheer top, fur mini skirt for date night with Bad Bunny. Stories of young girls dying from botched abortions in the early 50s still exist in the living memories of those from the region. Many of the Hicks babies were able to do DNA testing as part of the TV show. If it wasnt Hicks, there was someone doing the same thing during the war years adopting babies out to Akron. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. I grew up with this story from my grandfather when i was little. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. He then relocated just across the line in McCaysville Georgia. You can always change this later in your Account settings. So all of what you said is ridiculous. On another point, Ive heard it said that Dr. Hicks disposed of aborted babies in the river. His family did not live like they had money in fact most of his money appeared to be put right back into the town of McKaysville into businesses which kept folks employed and kept the town thriving. According to the neonatalogist interviewed in the show many other babies must have died. Dr Harshi Dhingra is a licensed medical doctor with a specialization in Pathology. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Jane needs to get a DNA test and compare it to Doris Abernathy, the town historian. The birth certificates Ive seen were in the 6-7 lb range. Thankful for the granddaughter who went beyond what most would have to get answers.
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