Black Market Adoption Victim Advocates Turn Their Attention To Survivors Of Tennessee Children's Home Society

(MENAFN- PR Newswire) Authorities estimate the Tennessee Children's Home Society kidnapped, sold, and abused about 5000 children in that state from 1924 to 1950 under the guise of legitimate adoptions. The conspiracy was widespread and aided by a corrupt judge - all while its leader paraded around the state in a shiny black limousine. In addition to the thousands of babies sold, hundreds of young children died due to eugenics-fed abuse.

G4J's new TCHS Survivors Project arose out of a random encounter between FHD genealogists and a Tennessee woman whose profile in a DNA database was a match for one of the company's John Doe investigations.

"One of our unidentified remains cases quite unexpectedly collided head first with the monster that was Georgia Tann," said genetic genealogist Allison Peacock, president of FHD Forensics and advisor to Genealogy For Justice. "After speaking with the daughter of one of their victims, I didn't get a good night's sleep for three days."

Black market adoption cases are not a new area of expertise for the group. Team members of both organizations feel strongly about using their skills to help alleviate the cause of stolen identities.

"I got my start in this field helping a woman whose "adoptive" mother had a doctor create a fake C-section scar on her body so she could smuggle her out of a South American country where babies were sold to Westerners with impunity for decades," Peacock continued.

In a current case, they're assisting a woman who was sold or stolen as a baby in the 1970s. After identifying her mother through genetic genealogy last year, they are still performing the tedious work of opening court records in three states to assist a police investigation into the mother's disappearance.

"To assist someone who has been unjustly denied access to their own history, their literal sense of self, is a great thing for us and brings meaning to our work," exclaimed Rebecca Hamilton, the team's legal advocate. An attorney and relentless historical researcher, Hamilton recently drove 700 miles to personally speak to a judge for a case.

They've also assisted an international effort for a child fathered by a sex tourist to the Philippines. Based on the expert testimony of Peacock and others, the child is now poised for a better life thanks to Canadian citizenship and a newfound, stronger sense of identity.

Goals for the new TCHS Survivors Project include raising both money and awareness to help reunite families. Donations will be used to pay for DNA tests, vital records fees, and other costs, while a social media campaign will be aimed at finding the aging victims of the horrific scheme, as well as their children and grandchildren who might still be looking for biological relatives.

Peacock realized after her first encounter with survivors that even decades after widespread exposure of the scandal, many who were affected have yet to find real closure about who they are.

"Some have tested their DNA but don't know how to interpret the results outside of an obvious sibling match. Others are unable to afford the testing or don't know how to locate people they match with in databases," she explained.

"We can fix these kinds of roadblocks," emphasized Peacock. "At least we can provide a little peace and some answers."

Tax deductible donations to the TCHS Survivors Project at Genealogy For JusticeTM can be made on the project's donation page at GiveButter or via PayPal .

Media Contact:
Cyndi Despault
512-270-1301
[email protected]

SOURCE FHD Forensics

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