On Mother’s Day 1997, the small US town of McCaysville, Georgia was thrown into the spotlight. News broke of how one of the local, and now deceased, doctors had sold hundreds of newborn babies from the back steps of his medical clinic.
Between 1950 to 1965, Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, who was viewed as a cornerstone of the mining community, illegally sold over 200 babies into black market adoptions, according to county birth records.
The ‘Hicks Babies’ as they are now known, were often adopted out as an alternative to an illegal abortion for hundreds of biological mothers; he often convinced them to pursue this option rather than having their pregnancy terminated.
This is how Dr Thomas Hicks got away with his crime for over a decade. Post continues after video.
Upon delivering the newborn, Hicks would then adopt the baby out by secretly selling them for between $800-$1000 each. The price also included a forged birth certificate which had the adoptive parents’ name on it.
Hicks’ was described as a “popular, church-going man, revered by locals for his generosity,” and is understood to have sometimes performed abortions. The procedure, however, “did not entirely mesh with his beliefs.” Instead Hicks decided on another way forward, choosing to sell them to desperate couples who wanted children of their own.
In some reported cases it is alleged he also lied to a number of the birth mothers, telling them their newborn baby had died.
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I am a Late Discovery Adoptee finding the truth by Ancestry DNA 2 years ago at 59. My biggest shock was finding out I have two birth certificates (all adoptees have two birth certificates even a child adopted today) the deception & lies started with the canceling of my Original Birth Certificate and replacing it with a "FAKE" Fabricated Birth Certificate that says I was born to Adoptive Parents - "The Lie upon which all other Lies of my life were constructed upon" Anyone who advocates adoption are advocating these deceptive lie - This is what adoption is - you cannot escape it or the trauma of loss of identity, legal severance from your biological parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, loss of culture, family history, loss of vital family medical history - the same applies to donor conceived persons - say persons because even as an adult of 61 years old in the eyes of the law I am a child, child protection legislation for adoptees never recognises the child becomes an adult - I will always be a child - adoption is a life sentence
I was born at Crown Street Women’s hospital in 1969. During labour my birth mother was told that I was stillborn and then when I was 21 days old I was adopted by a family who were told that my birth mother gave me up willingly. If I hadn’t traced my birth mother when I was 25 then none of us would have discovered the truth. I don’t know how many other babies were stolen from their mothers but I believe it was a regular occurrence. Also, I’m not aware of any of the Doctors or nurses involved facing retribution.