He was selling the babies for between $800 and $1000, which would be around $10,000 of todays money. He would sell the babies to parents who wanted to adopt but couldn't afford to do so legally. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. That creates the perfect storm for someone like Dr. Hicks. Fans can also interact with TLC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest. 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. I believe that he was calling them before some of these babies were born, inducing labor and handing these fragile preterm infants over in exchange for what in todays prices would be around $7500.00. RELATED: Grandma Kept Family Secret 35 Years Hoping Her Parents Would Tell Her, My parents bought a child in a way that gave me no option but to search and possibly find no answers, she says. 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. Others were given away at birth as their desperate, dirt-poor mothers simply couldnt afford another mouth to feed. Meet Kody Brown's Rumored Fifth Wife On 'Sister Wives' Who May Or May Not Be Real. Investigator Jane Blasio works alongside Lisa Joyner and Chris Jacobs to uncover the truth . Jane learned that she was one of more than 200 babies that were sold in the back alley of his clinic for $100 to $1,000. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Hicks was the beloved town doctor in the tiny mountain town of McCaysville, but women came from miles around to seek his services. TLCs Taken at Birth, which first aired in 2019, is a three-part series examining the aftermath of his actions nearly 70 years later. It is unclear exactly how many newborns were sold out of the clinic between the 1940s and 1960s, though investigators have estimated there were more than 200. Deeply disturbing and surprisingly redemptive, author Jane Blasios memoir plumbs the depths of human depravity and the mystery of Gods mercy. I also did notice that is was poorly done, we seen a lot of the same thing over and over, and we seen a lot of trees, water, road and sky in between things that happened to take up space. One of those peddled babies was Blasio, author of the new book "Taken at Birth," released earlier this week. It pursues the question of when and why Hicks started selling babies, explores what the birth mothers were told, and significantly, asks whether Hicks himself fathered any of the infants who were sold or given away a path that leads investigators to use modern DNA technology and to visit a mausoleum. 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. I know this was not the case of all of the mothers stories that were known. About 20 minutes into the first segment ofTaken At Birth, one of Dr. Hicks' grandchildren talked about this time in the United States, and said that her grandfather, who was performing abortions at a time that it was highly illegal in the United States, would sometimes recommend that mothers carry their babies to term and subsequently give them away so as to avoid the stigma of having an abortion. ", Jane Blasio as a child (Credit: Jane Blasio), Since then, Blasio has helped other people sold as newborns by Hicks find out more about their early lives. Decades later, those babies want to find their familiesand the truth. Ohio Mom Refuses to Let Teen Pregnancies Stop Her from Becoming a Doctor: 'I Feel Nothing But Gratitude', Dead, Missing and Trafficked: How a Home for Catholic Moms and Their Babies Became the Site of Mass Tragedy, Jim Obergefell, Whose Landmark Case Legalized Gay Marriage, Says 'I Have to Keep Fighting' as 'Roe' Is Overturned, New TLC Special 'Taken At Birth' Dives into Shocking 'Hicks Babies' Black Market Adoption Scandal, Woman Searching for Birth Parents Discovers She Was Stolen as a Baby: 'My Parents Bought a Child', Father of Unborn Child Arrested for Murder in Case of Still-Missing Pregnant Md. Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on October 11, 2019 and was updated with the latest information. Dilbeck is the oldest of the Hicks Babies at age 69, according to TLC's Taken At Birth. Premiering in October, the six-hour special event exposes new secrets, shares bittersweet reunions and unearths a grave that reveals surprising DNA connections. April showers bring May flowers and a slew of new TV shows and films available to stream on Hulu. or redistributed. The "Hicks Babies" are now grown and many have babies and grandbabies of their own. Born in 1965 at a clinic operated by Thomas Jugarthy Hicks in a small town in northern Georgia, Jane, a prematurely born baby, was sold, not legally adopted, and passed . I know everything about what I had been seeking, she said. "I had struggled with them growing up a bit, and I love them like crazy like all children love their parents, but there [were] a lot of things I felt were unended in my heart," she said. The way the show was promoted leads one to believe that its a limited series, but considering the breadth of the story, TLC could do a followup season on the Hicks Babies or pivot to a whole new story. It's a six-hour documentary special that's broken into three separate episodes. The more she dug into the life of Dr. Hicks, the more dark secrets she uncovered. Dr. Hicks sold over 200 illegal babies. She lives in Mccaysville. May 1, 2023Lonely Hurts, But God Can Redeem ItJESSICA MANFRELee en espaolBut Ruth said, Do not urge me to leave, How God uses your weakness for His gloryBut he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my. Blasio's father was a police officer who "knew right from wrong," though he eventually got his first felony. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 1,965, This story has been shared 1,952 times. The Dr. Phil Show Airs: Monday, Sept. 12;Tuesday, Sept. 13 and Monday, Sept. 19 (check here for local channel/time) Whats It All About? After 20 years of hard work and heartbreaking dead ends, Jane is determined to get some answers. Born in 1965 at a clinic operated by Thomas Jugarthy Hicks in a small town in northern Georgia, Jane, a prematurely born baby, was sold, not legally adopted, and passed through the back door of the clinic to the couple whom she grew up believing were her birth parents. His wife and son both passed away, and his daughter lives in North Carolina,. This would be the time it would be almost impossible to hide a pregnancy. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites and exclusive original video content. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, But it sure mattered to her when she saw her birth certificate as a teen. What Time Does 'Yellowjackets' Season 2, Episode 6 Air On Showtime? When Blasio was 6-years-old, she discovered that she and her older sister were adopted. allpass_containerRequests.push([jQuery("#allpass_container0"), "Wide", null, null]); In some cases after the babies were born, he told their mothers they had died. Market data provided by Factset. 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. He lied and proceeded to sell the newborns for around $800 to $1,000 on the black market. Pic credit: TLC. To this day, a cloud of secrecy remains around Dr. Hicks himself and the notorious adoption ring that changed the course of hundreds of lives. Some were told the child was stillborn or had died. He drafted up fake birth certificates that listed the people buying the children as the biological parents, and he even had a service to mimic the experience of birth. advertisements for abortion and adoption on phone booths, bus stations, and bridges. Even today, in 2020, we still have a long way to go when it comes to making social strides for women's benefit. 5,315, This story has been shared 4,684 times. At the time he died, Hicks was without a medical license, having surrendered it to avoid prosecution following his 1964 arrest for performing abortions. How did Dr. Thomas Hicks run this black market operation? My mother for one. 'Succession' Season 4 Finale Date: When Is the Last Episode? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Jane learned her father bought her from Dr. Hicks in a back alley. An exclusive clip is above. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Each two-hour episode is punctuated with raw, emotional reunions that often turn bittersweet. 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. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. TLCs 2019 special consists of three episodes. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Find Us; Watch; Tv Guide; . But her fate could've been worse, Dr. Hicks also performed illegal abortions. He got his licensed revoked because he was caught performing an abortion. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks of the Hicks Clinic located in McCaysville, along the border of Tennessee sold scores of babies between the 1940s and 1960s, authorities have determined. TLC is a top 10 network across key female demos. This is crazy news. There is much more to this story I am sure. Although the series became pretty popular with the fans, it was originally only meant to have a limited run and no plans for any additional episodes have been announced. After watching the series I am left to wonder if some of the mothers who came to the clinic for abortions left believing that had received an abortion. Jane Blasio was one of those babies. Im going crazy with suspense. But how did he get away with it for so long? 'Succession' Season 4 Episode 6 Recap: "Living+", 'Succession': Tom and Shiv's "Bitey" Game is the Horniest, Most Effed Up Thing Theyve Done Yet. I had it set up to dvr and got 4 episodes. He tried to keep his baby-selling scam a secret by doctoring up birth certificates, and he performed illegal abortions, but the law didn't catch up to him until 1964. more. ANew York Timesprofile ofBlasio appeared in 1997, which was around the same time she blew the whistle on Dr. Thomas Hicks. Investigation journalism at its best. Unfortunately, TLC hasnt released any details about another installment. In the early 1950s, Hicks reportedly began advertising illegal abortion services to unwed pregnant women in phone booths, bus stations and bridges. Hicks' illegal. 2,880, This story has been shared 1,965 times. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. If the young women had no place to go, the Doctor would provide shelter for them until they gave birth, either in the clinic itself or in apartments he owned. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. Jane had questions about these strange discrepancies but left it all alone until her mother passed away. Stapleton and his adopted sister, Cyndy, were just two of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Thomas Hicks. This lucrative, black-market baby operation was the work of Dr. Thomas Hicks, an abortion doctor well-known for being able to fix female problems for about $100. Lysol was, in fact, the most popular birth control method during the Great Depression in the United States and it bears noting that the formula on the market, back then, wasfarmore acidic than it is today because it contained cresol, or, the main ingredient in photographic developers and explosives. Love the show, the first 2 parts got deleted by my grandchild. Looking for a happily-ever-after for everyone involved, Something Borrowed, Something New taps Georgia-born, LA-based designer Kelly Nishimototo revamp the borrowed gown into something new without making the anxious bride feel blue. 40,131, This story has been shared 20,835 times. Dr Faber, another doc and a few nurses were doing the same as Dr. Hicks. Look up the 1962 case of State vs Faye Wasserman. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Together, they set off on a journey to solve a decades-old mystery, reunite birth families and ultimately help them find closure, acceptance and truth. Yet, they couldn't stop at the hospital to get her checked out, because they had no birth certificate. The show taps into a quagmire familiar to generations of newly-betrothed ladies: Theyre dreaming of dress shopping when mom/sister/bestie sidles up with dewy eyes and offers her own (often outdated) gown for the occasion. The problem? Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? TLC examines Blasios pursuit of her past and her effort to inform and unite others like her, collectively known as Hicks Babies in the six-part, three-night special Taken at Birth, which premieres Wednesday. Blasio wanted to find out what happened before she was adopted. Blasio knew shed been born in McCaysville; her birth certificate said so. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". But, here's the worst part: Dr. Hicks didn't get his licensed revoked for selling babies. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. 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. Stream now on discovery+. ABC/Tony Rivetti 2016 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Plus, Chris and Hicks' granddaughter . "I would tell people, Fasten your seatbelt, because whether we find something or dont, its going to be the ride of your life.". From the time I was 5 or 6, when my adoptive parents told my sister and I that we were adopted, and that I knew it was black market, that it was illegal, [I was interested], Blasio explained. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Even though we may have been adopted by earthly parents, we all know for certain we have a mighty Father in heaven who can take our darkest moments and work it all together for our good. I know who I think is a twin to one of the Hicks babies. Tune in to #TakenAtBirth, a 3-night special event, starting TOMORROW at 9/8c. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.