John and Cyndy were just two of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Thomas Hicks, a doctor in McCaysville, Ga., . Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I met them a couple of years ago. According to the New York Post, Jane is just one of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Hicks . Robbie Sharpehugs his sister Diane Warner for the first time Saturday as a documentary crew from TLC shoots it. Occupation: DentistSpouse: Sallie Cobb JohnsonAdopted 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". Please enter your email and password to sign in. Like our Instagram page to get more stories. But, we never know if there could be more Taken At Birth in the future, as there are so many more cases about these babies and the fans have been wanting to know more. The different times of the year are called seasons. BY MARY HANCEMain Street Nashville | March 3, 2023. 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. Try again later. Woman, Couple's 'World Started Falling Apart' After Discovering IVF Embryo Mixup: 'This Isn't Our Child', How to Prepare When Adopted Children Are Ready to Meet Their Birth Parents, An Angry Doctor Battles a Gruesome Black Market in Asian Children, Victims in N.J. Shootout Were Store Owner, Employee and Shopper; Male and Female Suspects Also Named, Her Mom Was Murdered by a Serial Killer and Then She Was Adopted by the Killer's Brother, Mail Carrier and New Mom Fatally Shot Outside Georgia Post Office, Simone Biles Grew Up in a Different Household Than Her Brother, Who Is Now Charged With Murder, Baby-Selling Ring: Looking for Their Mothers. She is close with the group,. The couple had gotten the number for the clinic from a family member, which they called and were placed on a waiting list for a child after the Catholic Service League told then 48-year-old Mary Reymann that she was too old to adopt from their organization. Her mother died in 2004, but with the help of a genealogist she found her brother, Tommy. You're now subscribed to the latest stories. According to the New York Post, Jane is just one of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Hicks, during the 1950s and 60s. In the video below, she tells Inside Edition what her father revealed about making a purchase from the doctor. - one of the Hicks babies was found to have been born in another place by another doctor so now they are on the search for another illegal baby selling group - the woman who found her half brother but bio dad didn't want to meet.she ended up meeting her half brother on her moms side and a bunch of other family met her She felt as though the popular small-town physician was the only person she could turn to for help. Blasio would discover she was one of about 200 infants illegally placed in a black-market adoption ring by the same country doctor, Thomas J. Hicks, from his clinic in the Appalachian copper-mining hamlet of McCaysville, Georgia, near the Tennessee border, between the early 1940s and mid-1960s. Blasio was one of about 200 infants placed in an illegal black-market baby ring run out of a small Georgia clinic by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks during the 1950s and 1960s. cemeteries found in Sandy Springs, Fulton County, Georgia, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on October 11, 2019 and was updated with the latest information. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Diane Warner smiles as she meets many of her family members for the first time Saturday in Tunnel Hill. August 7, 2012. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). And, in that final segment, the ramifications were shown of how DNA helped the so-called "Hicks Babies" find their families and their truth. The "Hicks Babies". Its just still a whirlwind in my head.. She is one of about 200 people known as "Hicks Babies," named for Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, a beloved, small-town physician who trafficked in black market babies from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s until he was arrested for performing illegal abortions and lost his medical license. Whats additionally staggering is its believed that more than 200 infants, known as the Hicks Babies, were victims of the doctors scheme during the 50s and 60s. Resend Activation Email. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. A noted descendant of John Hicks was Elias Hicks, the noted divine of the Society of Friends and founder of the branch called "The Hicksites." . Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Please try again later. TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. Sorry! There are no volunteers for this cemetery. I went back to McCaysville several times over 14 years gathering stories, but I still had so many questions when it came to finding my birth story. Those who likely knew what happened may have died as well. Stay informed and entertained for free. Jacqueline Moen. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Blasio knew shed been born in McCaysville; her birth certificate said so. TLC is following her and five other Hicks Babies as they reunite with their birth families. Jack was 16-years-old when his girlfriend got pregnant and they were told the baby was stillborn. Using the latest advanced technology, Ancestry.com can compare more than 700,000 DNA markers. The anxious anticipation gave way to a thrilling reunion. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Hicks would then secretly sell the newborn for $800 to $1,000 each and included a forged birth certificate with the adoptive parents names on it. But for a select few, Hicks took special care, arranging for them to stay at a hotel down the street and convincing them to carry their babies to term. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. [He said] she had a bad heart and I believed it, Tipton said. They are spring, summer, winter, and autumn. Survivors include a son, Dr. Thomas J. Hicks of Atlanta; daughter Mrs. Reid L. Brown of Chattanooga, Tenn., and sisters Mrs. J.W. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. "We knew about her. Hicks would tell the women he would find adoptive parents for their children. Meet Kody Brown's Rumored Fifth Wife On 'Sister Wives' Who May Or May Not Be Real, Woman Told Her Friend With A Difficult 5-Year-Old She Should 'Rehome' Him She Doesn't Get Why She's Upset, Woman Gets 'Hate' For Sharing How Her Current Husband Is Supporting Her Ex After He Served 7 Years In Prison, Woman Whose Child Was Adopted 11 Years Ago Faces Backlash For Posting A Video To Try & Find Her On Her Birthday. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Thanks for your help! ANew York Timesprofile ofBlasio appeared in 1997, which was around the same time she blew the whistle on Dr. Thomas Hicks. Hicks' beliefs did not fully mesh with abortions, and he would . TLC is following her and five other Hicks Babies as they reunite with their birth families. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. pic.twitter.com/EJPSTTu0R8. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Sally Sompayrac is Hicks' granddaughter. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Dr. Their DNA samples were sent off to a lab, where Ancestry.com agreed to analyze their DNA for free. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. He reportedly performed abortions, which were illegal at the time, for $100. But the full, darker tale of how she was acquired didnt emerge until much later, after the death of her adoptive mother freed her to ask hard questions to the remaining parent who raised her. Her birth certificate was falsified, listing her adoptive parents as. Dr. Hicks had a granddaughter, Sally Sompayrac, who empathizes with the plight of the Hicks babies. Dr. Johnny Thomas "J.T." Parish, 87, of Benton, Kentucky, went home to be with his Saviour, Jesus Christ, on February 24th, 2023, while surrounded by family. She was separated, out of work, and out of pocket. He explained: Im very fortunate to have him, very fortunate. 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. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Summer is the hottest season of the year. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr son Dr Walter Lynn Hicks son Private child Mary Louise Hicks mother David Fleming Hicks father Infant Daughter Hicks sister About Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Listed as Thomas Hicks Birth: Oct 18 1888 Death: Mar 1972 Last residence: Copperhill, Tennessee 37317, USA News report: [ Meet The Doctor Behind 'My 600-Lb' Life: Who Is Dr. Nowzaradan AKA Dr. Now? As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. She is a prolific writer and speaker on U.S. foreign policy; strategy, powers and budget for national security; and political futures. Bloomington, Pickett County, Tennessee, USA. Hicks was the beloved town doctor in the tiny mountain town of McCaysville, but women came from miles around to seek his services. Please enter your email and password to sign in. There was an error deleting this problem. Jane Blasio learned at age 5 that shed been adopted. Stapleton and his adopted sister, Cyndy, were just two of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Thomas Hicks. There is a problem with your email/password. But occasionally, when women came to him for an abortion, he instead coaxed them to carry their babies to term then took the infants off their hands and sold them. With adoption fees ranging anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 per child, Guatemalas market of children resulted in a multi-billion dollar global business. 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Try again later. There is a problem with your email/password. She was 13 and he was 16. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. At least 49 of the babies were sold to parents in the Akron, Ohio area. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. A clear sky. Facilitated by 'jaladores,' these people were in the business of snatching babies off the street and tricking mothers into selling their infants for next to nothing. Only one of them was still alive. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Verify and try again. The true story of the devastating illegal . You have chosen this person to be their own family member. The mind-blowing story is the subject of a TLC series, Taken at Birth, which attempts to crack open the mystery of the doctors scheme and reunite some of the Hicks babies with their birth families. Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? Find Dr. Hicks's phone number, address, hospital affiliations and more. Try again later. is survived by his wife, Noretta (Hamby) Parish; son, Reverend David Parish; daughter-in-law, Patty Parish . There was an error deleting this problem. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Its such an amazing thing, Jack said. Thomas O. Hicks is Chairman, Founder, and Partner of Hicks Holdings LLC, a family office that owns and manages real estate, corporate assets, and investments, including the private equity firm . But many aspects of his clinic remain a mystery to this day. Blasio's decades long search to find her birth parents ended up exposing how a small-town Georgia abortion doctor named Thomas Hicks ran an illicit baby-selling operation . Jane Blasio had no inkling that she was adopted until she discovered that the date of birth listed in her baby book did not match the one printed on her birth certificate. Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. In other reported cases, he lied to the birth mothers, telling them their newborn baby had died. Dr. Thomas Hicks and our warm, friendly team proudly provide comprehensive dentistry in Portland, Oregon, and we are happy to also welcome patients from the nearby areas, including Bethany, Cedar Mill, Beaverton, and Hillsboro, Oregon. Like our Facebook page to get more stories. Born in . She disdains the notion that the doctor sold "black market babies." "Never has been black market babies," she said. . With the help of Blasio, Reymann was able to track down his cousin who was able to eventually help determine that his father was her uncle earlier this year. Hicks, a family physician who performed illegal abortions in the 50s and 60s in McCaysville, Ga., also delivered. TLC He also secretly placed infants with out-of-state parents in off-the-books adoptions. After reading the story, Reymann went to his adopted fathers home, slammed the newspaper down on the table in front of him and asked how much was paid for him. It is believed that he would also deliberately induce mothers, leading them to believe that their children were stillborn before handing them over to the adoptive parents for a fee. 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. Sally Hemings was a woman enslaved by Thomas Jefferson, inherited through his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson (October 19/30, 1748-September 6, 1782) when her father died. Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina, USA. 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. Jack asked if Mason wanted him to marry her and she declined and told him that her father was going to send her away somewhere to give birth. Melinda, 53, is the de facto leader of the Hicks Babies. He got his licensed revoked because he was caught performing an abortion. Ive got both of my kids, my son-in-law, and my daughter-in-law and three of my grandkids, Im happy, Tipton said. 2023 Shareably Media, LLC. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Perhaps more than any other adoptee, her life has been marked by tragedy. Weve updated the security on the site. After finding out about the Hicks Clinic in 1997, Reymann had a blood DNA test done, which determined that he was not a sibling to any other children that were known to have been adopted from the clinic. He was born October 18, 1888. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. There's a lot more to the story than meets the eye. Kathleen Hicks Age, Birthday, Family. We just got to know each other really well. Add to your scrapbook. She didnt have knowledge of what Dr. Hicks had been doing, and she did not have an allegiance to him or his family, Blasio says. Remember: at the height of Dr. Hicks' black market practice, abortion was illegalin the United States. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Since meeting in person, the father and son have talked on the phone or through text messages pretty much every day, according to Jack. Failed to report flower. But Dr. Hicks had a not-so-secret dark secret. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. While the two never officially dated, they were intimate and in 1961 Mason became pregnant. Sally's mother, Betty, was said to be the daughter of an enslaved African woman and a White ship captain; Betty's own children were said . As for Hicks, Stapleton knows the . A WOMAN who was sold on the black market by her birth mother's doctor is on the hunt to find her biological family decades later. (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. Your email address will not be published. A system error has occurred. Now AncestryDNA and Nightline have helped Kristie find the family she was taken from 51 years ago. When Betty Trew heard about Dr Thomas Hicks, she was pregnant with her first child. Then, it was forgotten. So the existence of black market babies in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s seemed like a foregone conclusion to those who were alive and raisedduring that time. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. I was a black market baby and Ive been investigating Dr Hicks for my entire life, Jane explains on the show. The three-part TLC special that premiered in 2019, Taken At Birth, documentedthe shocking case of Dr. Thomas Hicks, a doctor who according to the special sold hundreds of babies out of the back of his clinic for decades. That'swithin the average readership of this site's lifetimes. Commissioner Hicks has focused his efforts on voter . English Sorry! Hours after Falcone was born a twin at The Hicks Community Clinic in McCaysville, Ga., in August 1963, a Dr. Thomas Hicks, now deceased, handed the prematurely-birthed baby to a couple waiting in their car in a back alley. Ancestry.com boasts one of the largest genealogy databases in the world with one million people, but with more than 300 million people living in the United States, the odds of finding a close family match are relatively small. Of course, it developed into a relationship thing.. We know now that he was telling women that their baby died and he would sell them, Jane explains. "I'm so grateful this could happen. ), RELATED:Meet The 9-Kid, No-Technology Plath Family Featured In New TLC Show 'Welcome To Plathville'. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203719446/thomas-jugarthy-hicks. Theres a part of me in my heart doesnt want to get too invested.. Jane Blasio never found her birth mother in Georgia, but she did find a new family. The DNA test results found one match his first cousin Julie K. Jack who is Paul Jacks niece. It was discovered that Dr. Thomas J. Hicks had been selling newborns from the small-town facilitys backdoor for $1000. After learning she was not, he decided to turn to Ancestry.com for help in 2018. THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION 06 March 1972Dr. Were getting older, said Blasio, who is now 54. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. His birth father, Paul Jack, was only 16-years-old at the time, but remembers his girlfriend was told their child was stillborn. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. She proceeds to tell the story of what she looked like when her parents first purchased her from Dr. Thomas Hicks: she was covered in dried blood, looked sicklyand her parents weren't even sure she was going to make it. Bringing some light to the horrific events is a show called Taken at Birth from TLC. 1963 for $1000 is hoping that DNA testing will provide the answers she is looking for in order to find her biological family as it did for others of the 'Hicks Babies'. Within a decade, he was not only performing illegal abortions but selling newborns on the black market. Roger and Kristie, who are one year and a half apart, had lived their entire lives without either of them knowing the other existed. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. But the couple who raised her, Joan and James Walters, of Akron, Ohio, were falsely listed as birth parents to both Blasio and her older sister, Michelle, who also came from the same Georgia clinic.