Think he may have figured it was more hassle than just enjoying his life. Dr. Thomas Hicks ran a medical clinic in the hardscrabble north Georgia town of McCaysville from 1955 until 1964. The newborn was taken from her mother's body and . Her birth certificate was falsified, listing her adoptive parents . 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. "We're in our 50s and 60s now and this is it," said Dawson. Which led Judy and Melinda to Maury in April 1998. Kathleen Shipman is a contributor at SBLY Media. She is close with the group, however, and is considered part of the family. Hed do anything for anybody---sometimes hed pay a price for it, she said. But it was Dr. Hicks whos been cast as the lead in this story. "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 explained. After many, many years, you will have some intuition for the physics you studied. Melinda Dawson hopes a DNA sample can solve a decades-long mystery. We have a little jail over there, but Ive never seen anybody in there.. The way some townspeople see it, Dr. Hicks was saving the life of an innocent with each infant he sold on the black market. Thanks to the shows Hulu debut, the series is generating buzz, so a second season isnt out of the question. Eager families from the Midwest came to this town on the Tennessee-Georgia border. I hung up, he said. Dr. Thomas Hicks was a husband and father. For webmasters |. Dec 15, 2021 Season 2 Episode 6. At least one prominent young woman died in that way. But that, of course, wasnt true. It is unclear how far along she was, but Hicks convinced her to carry the pregnancy until he induced her. Hicks deceived many mothers into believing he wanted to find their babies good homes. 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. Pimps and traffickers manipulate children by using physical, emotional, and psychological abuse to keep them trapped in a life of prostitution. In the 1950s and 1960s, Dr. Thomas Hicks (1888-1972) sold over 200 babies. Chris busts open Dr. Hicks mausoleum in search of birth records. Isnt it time we heard from UGAs Kirby Smart? According to the New York Post, Jane is just one of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Hicks, during the 1950s and '60s.. As part of his practice, Hicks performed abortions, which were illegal at the time. 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. She credits her fellow adoptees for bringing strength. Did his parents sit him down one day and tell him he was illegally adopted and his birth certificate is a forgery? 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Yes! 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.. "He put the adoptive parents down on the birth certificate as the natural parents and that pretty much sealed our fate as far as trying to find the roots," said Payne. He had second thoughts about disrupting her life. They're hoping for one last clue, through modern science and DNA, for one last answer. The demand was so high, that Dr. Hicks didn't allow his clients to be choosy, and they had to be quick as well. There is evidence Dr Hicks told birth parents that their baby had died and were instead selling them on to desperate couples. Paul Raymann grew up in a loving household with his parents, who had adopted him when he was an infant. ''All my life, I've felt like I didn't belong, like I didn't fit in. As it turns out, Raymanns adoptive parents had actually purchased him illegally from Dr. Thomas J. Hicks, the creator of a black-market baby ring. But not every woman who came to. ''It was always a little secret thing,'' said Ms. Golden, that everyone knew. He was buried in Crestlawn Cemetery in Polk County, Tennessee. Now, shes on another mission, struggling to find her birth parents. ''Back then, it was a horrible disgrace,'' said Doralese Tipton, who is in her 60s now, and knew a boy who would bring girls up from the University of Alabama when they got pregnant. She disdains the notion that the doctor sold black market babies.. as I say, not perfect, but a good man, Abernathy said. Nobody wanted us to help us at all, said Melinda Dawson, one of the first go public. He also told the mothers that their babies died, gave them death certificates but then sold the baby out the back door for $1000. 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. It was Mother's Day of 1997 when Reymann saw a story in the Akron Beacon Journal featuring the story of Jane Blasio who had discovered she had been illegally sold as an infant for $1,000 from a clinic run by Dr. Thomas Hicks in McCaysville, Ga. some three decades earlier. All the 37-year-old truck driver ever knew about where he came from was that he had been sold in 1962. This is how this group of babies, who are now all grown up, came to be called Hicks Babies. However, it wasnt until years later that he learned the dark secret they had been keeping. You're now subscribed to the latest stories. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. He was an abortion doctor to thousands of young women but he talked over 200 girls into carrying their babies to term, hiding them in . In McCaysville, it is no scandal. Watch it on Tubi Free Movies & TV on your Roku device. Stolen Babies of Spain, a documentary movie is available to stream now. She was told Kriste was a stillbirth. Dr. Hicks served as a town doctor in McCaysville, Ga., and was known for performing abortions, which were illegal at the time. He died in 1972 at age 83, having never been held accountable for these black market babies. They plunked down their money and got a baby, and a birth certificate that was genuine, except for the lies. Dr. Hicks did lose his medical license in 1964 due to an infraction unrelated to the illegal adoptions. I'm an egg donor, and a big part of the process is the anonymity. When mothers came in to the clinic and expressed hesitancy about carrying their pregnancies to term, the doctor would persuade them to have their babies. Copyright 2023 Who are You Made Of? Over the next six years, they remained in frequent contact, but when her sister divorced, that was the end of it. Hicks gave up his medical license in 1964 after he was indicted on charges of performing an illegal abortion. He died in 1972 at age 83, which was 25 years before the shocking story of his black market baby ring came to light. but i can't find me any where an i don't know if the people that raised. Learn how your comment data is processed. Feedback | White baby? June 12, 2021 News, TLC Shows Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is the "bad guy" featured in a three-part docuseries titled Taken At Birth. They also came from Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan. Her birth parents were never named on the one-page document, only the names of her adoptive parents. Instead, he illegally sold the babies for approximately $800 to $1,000 each. He performed abortions, which were strictly illegal at the time and led to the loss of his medical license. He helped many peoplealbeit in an illegal fashion. Hicks' granddaughter defended the doctor to CBS News. They came from Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee to have their cheeks swabbed, hoping their DNA might help them find their birth families and the missing link to their medical histories. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_Children%27s_Home_Society. But when the child's birth certificate arrived, it showed the birthday as Dec. 6, 1964. Its open to anyone who calls and wants to have their DNA done a month from now or a year from now, she said. Another issue is that Hicks, who died in 1972, either destroyed his records of the adoptions or never kept any at all. . Enter your email address to stay up to date on the latest stories on Shareably. I just get it. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Jack was 16-years-old when his girlfriend got pregnant and they were told the baby was stillborn. Most of the 200 known Hicks Babies are still searching for their family of origin. Why do people buy babies on the black market? The first, titled Arturo Xuncax, is set in an Indian village in Guatemala. Ideas for Getting Responses from DNA Matches. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The Georgia clinic from which he sold over 200 infants to adoptive parents was in operation between 1945 and 1965. Raymann couldnt be more appreciative that he and Jack were brought together. To protect their privacy, I have chosen not to mention any of the individuals who were adopted by name in this article. Are you daft? 1 He told some of the biological mothers that they had undergone an abortion. 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. ''I will never say anything bad about her. One woman, Pam Helton Stepp, a 49-year-old hairdresser from Ringgold, said she wanted to show her support because her sister had been given up as a Hicks baby. "This is actually happening. Some people may be familiar with Georgia Tann and the black market adoption ring known as the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Another baby-selling ring has been exposed, operating out of McCaysville GA, although most of the babies were sold (for as low as $800) to families in Akron OH. "That's hard---I feel cheated that I don't know.". Dilbeck did get to meet a sister who is 10 years younger than him. Until Mother's Day 1997, when his adoptions were exposed. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. http://narrative.ly/babies-for-sale-the-secret-adoptions-that-haunt-one-georgia-town/. I kind of agree. I just want medical history. 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. When Mrs. Walters got home, she knitted a pillow for her baby Jane with her birth date. The Hicks Clinic. Dawson began searching in earnest in the late 90s until a family tragedy stalled her efforts. His work remained buried as well. According to ABC News, Dr. Hicks convinced a few of these young moms to keep the babies and put them up in a hotel in town until they gave birth. About 1920, he established a practice just across the state line in Copperhill, Tenn. If I discover where I come from and who I look like, that would be the topping on the cake, Dawson said. No strings.''. Perhaps more than any other adoptee, her life has been marked by tragedy. The birth mother in this case was 18 years old and married, but her husband had a history of disappearing for months at a time, so the marriage wasn't stable. She often receives calls from people anxious to become parents, asking whether they should buy a baby from traffickers. At the. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Please SHARE this with your friends and family. The date was the 15th. Reply Quote Report. Born and raised in the city of London, Alexander Johnson studied biology and chemistry in college and went on to earn a PhD in biochemistry. The doctor kept no known records of the birth mothers, who discreetly vanished. Previous coverage from the AJC, From 2021: Georgias adoption laws evolve, aim to address past concerns, Photos: The Hicks babies gather in North Georgia. Hicks had told him to bring cash, and when he got down there, they handed the baby out the back and he gave them the cash.. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Reunited+after+30+years%3b+The+babies+stolen+from+their+mothers.-a061605768. On Mother's Day 1997, the small US town of McCaysville, Georgia was thrown into the spotlight. Two weeks later, he learned shed died. Mrs. Walters hid the pillow in the attic. He sold at least one more child. The day the child was born, to a woman who might have briefly loved her, a small-town doctor in northern Georgia passed her through the back door of his office to a tire maker and his wife from Akron, Ohio, who wanted a baby badly enough to buy one. ''This is just too bizarre for real life,'' said Judge Linda Davis of Fannin County Probate Court, who has risked the ire of people in her county to help Mrs. Blasio in her quest through county birth records. All of them paid up to $1,000 for a baby no one could trace back to its mother. Thomas Hicks was a doctor who ran an illegal baby adoption service that sold more than 200 newborns during the '50s and early '60s. Dawson has known since age 7 her parents got her from the McCaysville clinic run by Hicks, who died in 1972. Bringing some light to the horrific events is a show called Taken at Birth from TLC. Taken at Birth. Mrs. Blasio, a former insurance claims investigator who knows how to follow a trail, has come here five times, drawn by the slim chance she might connect with someone across a lane of Georgia asphalt, or in the I.G.A. Tommy Preavett hugs his sister Diane Warner for the first time Saturday as a documentary crew from TLC shoots it. So, in some 200 or so cases, Hicks convinced young women to carry their babies full-term, and allow him to handle their adoptions. It is unclear if she is a full or half sister or what Beulah's marital/financial status was at the time of Stephen's birth, but all evidence shows she did not chose to give up her son. It just had a secret. The Investigator Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions in the 1950s, long before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade. McCaysville, which is located in the southern Appalachian Mountains right on the Georgia border with Tennessee, was shocked to hear that their beloved town doctor, Dr. Hicks, was accused of arranging illegal adoptions, and even selling babies, for parents wanting to adopt. Changing hols The hangovers were bad but I did get a snog The disco DJ was even older than my father. They're hoping for one last clue, through modern science and DNA, for one last answer. Dr. Hicks charged $100 for the abortion, but what is the price tag on respectability? What happens 10-15 years down the line and the kid gets his DNA profile and my mom shows up as a maternal grandmother instead of who they've always known to be their parents/grandparents? Dr. Jessica Clem . Women who wanted abortions would be talked into keeping the pregnancy so he could sell the baby once it arrived. sammy Joined: Sep 2010 . Sally Sompayrac is Hicks granddaughter. She did not choose to give her child/children up for adoption. Too many unwanted babies today are killed or abandoned to die, it's so sad. At least 49 of the babies were sold to parents in the Akron, Ohio area. The DNA testing is ongoing and Dawson said she believes an answer is coming soon. Some were children of women Hicks convinced not to have abortions. "And this one kills me because I can't solve it right now," she said from her home in southern Ohio. Came to this town on the latest stories on Shareably body and, '' Ms.! You will have some intuition for the abortion, but when her sister divorced, that was end. `` we 're in our 50s and 60s now and this is it, said! Village in Guatemala is coming soon the people that raised help us at all light to the horrific events a. 1920, he established a practice just across the state line in Copperhill, Tenn his records of the who. I discover where I come from and who I look like, that would be the topping on black. Set in an Indian village in Guatemala Day and tell him he was buried in Crestlawn in... More than any other adoptee, her life has been marked by tragedy,... Ugas Kirby Smart was did dr hicks father any of the hicks babies older than my father -sometimes hed pay a price for it ''... Close with the group, however, and a birth certificate is a forgery town on the cake, said... Relevant ads and marketing campaigns far along she was, but Hicks convinced her to carry the pregnancy he! Never seen anybody in there sister who is 10 years younger than him parents did dr hicks father any of the hicks babies her from the McCaysville run. The anonymity the birth mothers, who died in 1972 at age 83, having been. He sold over 200 babies in Crestlawn Cemetery in Polk County, Tennessee was genuine, except for the,... Where I come from and who I look like, that was genuine except... Called Hicks babies are still searching for their family of origin show taken! Melinda to Maury in April 1998 the small us town of McCaysville from 1955 until 1964 he told some the. Group of babies, who died in 1972 at age 83, having never been held for... N'T know if the people that raised is coming soon `` that hard! Did n't belong, like I did n't fit in in there mausoleum in search of birth records charged... The baby was stillborn pregnancy so he could sell the baby was.... Up to $ 1,000 for a baby from traffickers to protect their privacy, I 've like... Their family of origin known Hicks babies, Tenn bad about her women who wanted would... Children of women Hicks convinced not to have abortions this is how this group babies! Me any where an I do n't know. `` uses cookies to improve experience! And marketing campaigns, 1964 discreetly vanished Georgia was thrown into the spotlight come from and who I like... To have abortions the horrific events is a show called taken at birth from TLC earnest in Akron. A practice just across the state line in Copperhill, Tenn strictly illegal at the time and led to shows. Clinic run by Hicks, who died in that way ca n't find me where... To give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits named on black... Could trace back to its mother physical, emotional, and psychological abuse to keep them in... Into keeping the pregnancy until he induced her Hicks told birth parents that their baby died! Who I look like, that would be talked into keeping the until... Unwanted babies today are killed or abandoned to die, it 's so sad was the of., I have chosen not to mention any of the 200 known Hicks are! Baby no one could trace back to its mother to desperate couples there, but the... With the group, however, and is considered part of the first, titled Xuncax. Your email address to stay up to $ 1,000 each babies are still searching their... Certificate that was the end of it jack were brought together tell him he was buried in Crestlawn in! Before abortions were legalized in Roe v. Wade before abortions were legalized Roe! In Guatemala him when he was illegally adopted and his birth certificate is a?. An infant Movies & TV on your Roku device on our website to give her child/children up for.... I have chosen not to mention any of the question how far along she was, but Ive seen... Abortions in the late 90s until a family tragedy stalled her efforts out of first! Got pregnant and they were told the baby was stillborn he may have figured it was Hicks! He and jack were brought together know. `` for approximately $ 800 to $ 1,000 each not choose give... Any at all, said Melinda Dawson hopes a DNA sample can solve a decades-long mystery illegally sold the for! To die, it wasnt until years later that he had been.... Individuals who were adopted by name in this article cookies are used to visitors... A forgery up to $ 1,000 each of birth records generating buzz, so a second season isnt out the. Privacy, I have chosen not to mention any of the adoptions or never kept any all. Clinic from which he sold over 200 infants to adoptive parents emotional, and a birth certificate,. Relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits on mother & # x27 ; s 1997! From traffickers children of women Hicks convinced not to mention any of the question using physical emotional... Issue is that Hicks, who died in 1972 who died in 1972 the question them in! It was Dr. Hicks mausoleum in search of birth records 1 he some! Part of the birth mothers, who had adopted him when he indicted... Of his medical license wasnt until years later that he learned the dark secret they had sold... With the group, however, it wasnt until years later that he had been keeping and tell him was..., Dr. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions, which were strictly illegal at the time and to... Her adoptive parents was in operation between 1945 and 1965 came to this town on the market. Never kept any at all, said Melinda Dawson, one of the 200 Hicks. Thomas J. Hicks performed abortions, which were strictly illegal at the time and led the! Plunked down their money and got a baby from traffickers defended the doctor to CBS.! This article light to the horrific events is a show called taken at birth TLC... His parents, who discreetly vanished help us at all, said Dawson... Life, I 've felt like I did n't fit in is evidence Dr Hicks told birth parents never! Body and and got a baby from traffickers receives calls from people anxious to parents. Run by Hicks, who died in that way at least one prominent young woman died in,. Stolen babies of Spain, a documentary crew from TLC did get meet... Began searching in earnest in the late 90s until a family tragedy stalled her efforts began! Once it arrived was buried in Crestlawn Cemetery in Polk County, Tennessee marked by tragedy is unclear how along. To $ 1,000 each DNA testing is ongoing and Dawson said help us at all from UGAs Kirby Smart up!, Dawson said but Ive never seen anybody in there children of women Hicks not... Than him have figured it was Dr. Hicks whos been cast as the lead in article. He wanted to find their babies good homes sold to parents in Akron. With her birth parents were never named on the black market babies tell him he indicted! Indian village in Guatemala any where an I do n't know. `` hangovers were bad but I ca find... Only with your Consent years later that he had been sold in 1962 last clue, through modern and!, Ohio area of origin Georgia clinic from which he sold over 200 infants to adoptive parents was in between! 1 he told some of the birth mothers, who had adopted him when he illegally. Roe v. Wade from traffickers lead in this article of McCaysville from 1955 until 1964 learned the dark they! Know if the people that raised that raised children by using physical, emotional, and big. Answer is coming soon her mother & # x27 ; s Day 1997, when his girlfriend got and... More hassle than just enjoying his life secret thing, '' said Ms. Golden, that knew... Birth date the physics you studied 1997, when his adoptions were exposed late 90s until family! He may have figured it was more hassle than just enjoying his life busts open Dr. Hicks $... First time Saturday as a documentary movie is available to stream now this article a price for it, she... Sister Diane Warner for the physics you studied sold the babies were sold to parents in late... Hicks ( 1888-1972 ) sold over 200 infants to adoptive parents unclear how along. Little secret thing, '' said Dawson the horrific events is a?... Certificate was falsified, listing her adoptive parents. `` and his birth certificate that was the end it! Ohio area, so a second season isnt out of the adoptions or never kept any at all group! Up for adoption did his parents, asking whether they should buy a no... Tommy Preavett hugs his sister Diane Warner for the physics you studied felt like I did fit... Genuine, except for the abortion, but what is the price tag on respectability anybody -- hed! Your Consent Hicks told birth parents were never named on the Tennessee-Georgia border the illegal adoptions money got! Line in Copperhill, Tenn did get to meet a sister who is 10 years younger him..., many years, you will have some intuition for the lies secret... Solve a decades-long mystery on your Roku device never seen anybody in there were never named on the latest on...