TLCs 2019 special consists of three episodes. Blasio went on to tell hosts Lisa Joyner and Chris Jacobs best known for their work onLong Lost Family that her father, who was a former police officer,knew that something was shady about it all, but kept his mouth shut. 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. Taken at Birth, TLC's six-part, three-night special revisits the case of Dr. Thomas J. Hicks, a who sold and/or gave away more than 200 newborn infants between the 1950s and 1960s. Blasio hopes her book will bring Hicks babies closer to the truth. He was a Georgia-native who became infamous for his illegal side gig selling newborns. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Fri Oct 11, 2019 at 12:37pm ET. Jane Blasio (left) and sister (Credit: Jane Blasio), "He knew what he was doing," the author said of her father's decision to purchase a baby from the clinic. Starring: Jane BlasioLisa JoynerChris Jacobs. What is going to get me my answers?, Blasio says in the special. Abortion wouldn't be legal until 1973, when the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision determined that abortions were, indeed, legal. The TLC special unites Blasio with Lisa Joyner and Chris Jacobs, hosts of the networks Long Lost Family reality show, in an effort to pierce the secrecy and broken biological ties that still surround many of the Hicks Babies, of which Blasio, born in 1965, appears to be the last and the youngest. I do hope that the Hicks Babies receive the closure they deserve. Related: TV Guide Magazines Ileane Rudolph takes a closer look at the three JonBent Ramsey specials on our sister site, TVInsider.com. Viewers can enjoy their favorite shows anytime, anywhere through TLC GO the networks TVE offering featuring live and on demand access to complete seasons. Lisa Joyner and Chris Jacobs walk with Jane Deblasio as they unravel the Hicks babies mystery. Dr. Thomas Hicks apparently convinced more than 200 pregnant mothers that their babies had either died or that they should put them up for adoption, claiming he found suitable parents. He can use heartbreak, deathbed confessions, desperation, and turn these tragic moments into a story of redemption like Janes. 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. or redistributed. Now that the series is on Hulu, theres a good chance itll reach an even bigger audience, which could prompt the network to develop more episodes. 2,880, This story has been shared 1,965 times. That creates the perfect storm for someone like Dr. Hicks. All rights reserved. It tells the story of Dr. Thomas Hicks, a small-town physician who illegally sold babies throughout the '50s and '60s. Jane had questions about these strange discrepancies but left it all alone until her mother passed away. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. ", IPHONE PHOTO HELPS MOM DISCOVER HER SON'S RARE EYE CANCER. I always had this kind of cloud in the back that was, I got to find my birth family. But a deathbed confession reveals a dark family secret as Jane Blasio goes looking for her birth parents. How did Dr. Thomas Hicks run this black market operation? Law enforcement turned a blind eye to what Hicks was doing at the time, letting him get away with trafficking newborns for years, Blasio, now a federal law enforcement officer, said. In 1950s and 60s rural United States many desperate young women who found themselves unexpectedly pregnant thought they had found answers in advertisements for abortion and adoption on phone booths, bus stations, and bridges. 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 is pure speculation, but this could have been a tactic he could use if the mother had second thoughts about not keeping her baby. Others were given away at birth as their desperate, dirt-poor mothers simply couldnt afford another mouth to feed. 1,457, This story has been shared 1,239 times. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. And, as recently as 2017, it was revealed that many international adoptions are done "on the black market," particularly in countries like Guatemala, where abject poverty forces people to do the unthinkable. Nonbinary 'Yellowjackets' Star Liv Hewson Is Sitting out of Emmy Season Over Gendered Categories, 'Yellowjackets' Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: Digging the Antler Queen, Drew Barrymore Admits She's "Not Sure" She's "Drawn to the Manscaper" on 'The Drew Barrymore Show': "I Love Funk", Drew Barrymore Opens up About Up Close and Personal Interview Style: "I Feel This Magnetic Pull", Why Isn't 'The Drew Barrymore Show' on Today? On her journey to discover the truth about her adoption and birth parents, "the facade" of her life kept more complicated, she said. I had it set up to dvr and got 4 episodes. more. Dr. Phil McGraw presents a three-part interview with JonBents now 29 year-old brother, Burke. It didnt take long for Tiger King to take over the internet, and now that it has, we dont know how we ever lived without Here Kitty Kitty by Joe Exotic. 1,965, This story has been shared 1,952 times. Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is the "bad guy" featured in a three-part docuseries titled Taken At Birth. 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. Thanks to the shows Hulu debut, the series is generating buzz, so a second season isnt out of the question. Another new title that streamers seem to be excited about is TLCs Taken At Birth. There is another leg to this Baby/abortion market in another town in North Carolina not far from the Hicks Clinic. Jane Blasio learned at age 5 that shed been adopted. Email tips toaudrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants. [], Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). Im so thankful for the DNA registries and how DNA technology has moved forward so much. Love the show, the first 2 parts got deleted by my grandchild. All rights reserved. Blasio blew the whistle back in the 1990s. Lukas Matsson's Tweet Explained. Jane learned her father bought her from Dr. Hicks in a back alley. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Having dedicated her life to learning the truth about Hicks and serving as the lead investigator in this case, Blasio was able to find her birth parents through DNA registries. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. var sc_project=8656821; 7.5 /10 Rate Browse episodes Top-rated 1 Season 2019 Videos 1 Trailer 2:02 Watch Taken At Birth Photos Add photo Top cast Edit Lisa Joyner Self TLC is part of Discovery (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), reaching 3 billion cumulative viewers in more than 220 countries and territories to satisfy curiosity and captivate superfans with a portfolio of premium nonfiction, lifestyle, sports and kids content brands. Buried Truth | Taken At Birth. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Although Dr. Hicks got his supply of babies from advertising to pregnant women in distress, he did not have to advertise that he was selling babies. Will they air again? Jaladores also orchestrated abductions in hospitals by giving the mothers sleeping pills or notifying them that their babies had died," stated one report, describing a practice that's all-too-familiar to Hicks Babies. Ms. Blasio found that many of the children were born weighing less than 5 lbs. 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. Some participants in the special suggested that the authorities not only looked the other waywhile these black market adoptions were taking place, but some were also actively participating in the illegal adoptions. Heres everything we know. Blasio has been featured as the investigative lead on TLC's 2019 docuseries about the scandal, also titled "Taken at Birth. Stapleton and his adopted sister, Cyndy, were just two of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Thomas Hicks. Although he lost his medical license as a result, Hicks passed away at age 83 without fully being held accountable for his actions. 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. TLC As an interesting historical sidebar,this writer remembers when her maternal grandmother recounted the tale of how Lysol was recommended as a douche when she first came to the United States. I have to find them.. GIRLS LAUNCH LEMONADE STAND TO HONOR SISTER WHO COULDN'T GET A HEART TRANSPLANT. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. American society has never been kind to women. 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. This would be the time it would be almost impossible to hide a pregnancy. Premiering on TLC in October of 2019, the six-hour special follows the story of the Hicks Babies, the name given to more than 200 newborn babies illegally sold by a small-town Georgia clinic during the 1950s and 1960s. Most buyers would either just come by and pick up the baby and birth certificate out the back door, but others wanted a more immersive ritual so they came inside the clinic, were dressed in a medical gown, and laid down on a birthing table to have the baby presented to them. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. (Silver Spring, MD) Over three nights thisOctober, TLCsTAKEN AT BIRTHwill share the untold stories of the Hicks Babies, the name given to more than 200 newborn babies illegallysoldor given away from the back steps of a small-town Georgia clinic run by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks during the 1950s and 1960s. He was born October 18, 1888. 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. She lives in Mccaysville. At the helm is lead investigator Jane Blasio, the youngest of the known Hicks Babies,whose resolve helped break the story, and who has since dedicated her life to finding out the truth. Dr. Hicks allegedly sold over 200 babies in a black-market adoption ring. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. 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But her fate could've been worse, Dr. Hicks also performed illegal abortions. Two hundred babies? Stream now on discovery+. He reportedly performed abortions, which were illegal at the time, for $100. Dr Faber, another doc and a few nurses were doing the same as Dr. Hicks. It's a six-hour documentary special that's broken into three separate episodes. Today, these babies are referred to as "Hicks babies." To date, no one knows the exact number of babies he stole and sold on the black market. 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. Brothers and sisters are united, meeting for the first time, yet for others, the mystery of their birth families remains. Mother Joneswent a step further and noted that, until Roe v. Wade, women used Lysol, among other awful methods, as an abortifacient. 13,172, This story has been shared 7,782 times. 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. 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. You May Also Like; Taken At Birth. I have worked in the area for 35 years. This story has been shared 40,131 times. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. After binge-watching all seven episodes of the Netflix series, we started looking for an equally bonkers show, and thats when we stumbled upon Taken at Birth, which is bound to become your next conversation starter. The series tells the story of a man that stole over 200 babies and sold them on the black market. See additional information. Is The Nurse On Netflix Based On A True Story? 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. As a result of her profile, more than 200 "Hicks babies" came forward. JaneBlasio began her birth search in the early 80s at 18, this journey has taken her from phone calls, pre-internet research, knocking on doors and meeting in back parking lots at night, to DNA matches and a blackmarket business run by a small town doctor that sold 200+ babies Standing between Jane, Lisa, and Chris and the truth are long-since buried secrets, and without any known medical records, they have their work cut out for them. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. She's also been helping those sold out of the clinic "a lot of whom didn't know they were adopted" get in touch with their birth families. At the beginning of TLC'sTaken at Birth,Blasio revealed that she didn't know when, precisely, she was born, because the birth certificate that her parents had was, to turn a phrase, doctored. Keep scrolling for all the details on Taken at Birth on TLC. "Taken at Birth" book cover (Credit: Jane Blasio). In fact, the woman who cracked the case, Jane Blasio, was from Akron. 1,213, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? How do I contact these people ?! By 2017, the story had grown and fermented, and was featured in a documentary unveiling the horrors of Hicks actions: abortions; induced labor to meet his schedule so he would have a newborn for prospective paying parents; the risk faced by premature babies; the ways womens bodies were butchered so they could no longer conceive or bear a child; adults on lifelong searches for their birth families; and secrets kept for a lifetime by people in the know who thought Hicks was an amazing doctor. Its not always perfect, not always wonderful; it is restoration, Blasiosaid. April showers bring May flowers and a slew of new TV shows and films available to stream on Hulu. See production, box office & company info. RELATED: Grandma Learns the Sinister Story About Her Abduction 40 Years Ago. The documentary, which aired on TLC last fall, premiered on Hulu this month, introducing the riveting and emotional story of the. "It's definitely a gift to people who are searching for their family members," Blasio said of take-home sampling kits such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA. 1,745, This story has been shared 1,457 times. Lead investigator Jane Blasio is joined by Lisa Joyner and Chris Jacobs to find closure for those stolen babies. TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. Some babies were stolen at birth. RELATED:Who Is Leah Marie Brown? Dr. Lee in the series stated this may have put their gestational age at 31-32 weeks. Are You Watching Toy Boy on Netflix Yet? Very surprised that it's gone to the extent it has. By April Neale. 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. Copyright 2005-2023, Christian Reformed Church in North America. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. 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. And it took the efforts of one woman to finally bring this practice to light. Will there be another season of Taken At Birth? var sc_invisible=1; 'Citadel' Episode Guide: When Do New Episodes Premiere on Prime Video? It does not store any personal data. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. (Ain't that some bull!) All I got was episodes 1 thru 5 recorded. 'Succession' Season 4 Episode 6 Recap: "Living+", 'Succession': Tom and Shiv's "Bitey" Game is the Horniest, Most Effed Up Thing Theyve Done Yet. He was selling the babies for between $800 and $1000, which would be around $10,000 of todays money. Dr. Hicks served as a town doctor in McCaysville, Ga., and was known for performing abortions, which were illegal at the time. Premiering in October, the six-hour special event exposes new secrets, shares bittersweet reunions and unearths a grave that reveals surprising DNA connections. If they did not come to pick up the baby in a 24-hour time frame, the child would no longer be available for them. If we would have had that same DNA database and the internet back in 97-98, Im estimating about 90% of our cases would have been closed and we would have had birth families for them, but were working with what we have now.. But her fate could've been worse, Dr. Hicks also performed illegal abortions. The Hicks Babies share an urgency to find their roots and uncover the truth about Dr. Hicks clinic before the clock runs out. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites and exclusive original video content. She and her 11-year-old sister were being teased on the playground, so her parents called them both inside to simply say the girls were adopted and there was nothing wrong with that. The Smithsonian Magazinehas some interesting insight into why the cleaning product was marketed as such: "feminine hygiene" was a euphemism for "birth control.". 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. 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