By Lindsey Belsky, KERO 23 ABC NEWS BAKERSFIELD
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — For years, Demi Dominguez’s name has been connected to court proceedings, medical testimony and a wrongful-death case.
But to her mother, Tracy Dominguez, Demi was something special: her daughter, her best friend and the life of their home.
“She was the life of the house. She was the baby, of course,” Tracy said. “She was funny. She was silly.”
Demi was just 23 years old and preparing to welcome her first child when she died in April 2019.
Nearly eight months pregnant, Demi sought medical care while experiencing high blood pressure. Days after being discharged, she suffered a seizure and died.
Her son, Malakhi, was delivered by emergency C-section but died hours later.
When Tracy learned her daughter was gone, she dropped to the floor of the hospital room and sobbed. Consumed by the shock of losing Demi, her family eventually took her home while her newborn grandson, Malakhi, remained at the hospital receiving medical care.
It is one of the pieces of that loss Tracy continues to carry more than seven years later.
The deaths of Demi and her son ultimately became the subject of a wrongful-death trial that I have followed through its verdict.
A jury found former OB-GYN Arthur Park negligent, determining his negligence was a substantial factor in both deaths.
But for Tracy, the courtroom battle was only one part of a much larger fight.
Long before a jury returned its verdict, she had begun working with Consumer Watchdog to advocate for changes to California’s medical malpractice damages law.
She did so knowing the changes would not apply to her family’s own case.
“It was important to me because it was the right thing to do,” Tracy said.
That decision transformed a deeply personal loss into advocacy intended to reach beyond her own family.
For patient advocate Michele Monserratt-Ramos of Consumer Watchdog, Demi’s legacy now carries a broader message.
“I think Demi’s legacy is that every mom deserves safe care,” Monserratt-Ramos said.
For Tracy, however, advocacy and court proceedings only tell part of Demi’s story.
Before there were attorneys, testimony and a verdict, there was a mother and daughter who spoke every day, spent time together and were preparing for a new baby to join their family.
And while she never had the opportunity to know Malakhi, Tracy said her faith gives her hope that she will someday meet her grandson.
“I can’t wait till the day I … get to meet him,” she said.
No verdict can return the daughter and grandson Tracy lost.
But after years spent seeking accountability and pushing for change, Tracy is continuing to tell their story in hopes that what happened to her family can leave an impact beyond the courtroom.
For her, keeping Demi and Malakhi’s memories alive means fighting for a future where another mother and baby have the chance to come home together.
