LOWER LAKE — The congregation of Deeper Life Christian Fellowship in Lower Lake adopted the Dominguez family in effort to help ease the hardships they face this holiday season.
Miguel Dominguez lost his wife and the mother of his six children to cancer just before Thanksgiving. The family is struggling to cope with the remainder of the holiday season without Bernadett Dominguez.
Deeper Life Christian Fellowship volunteered to assist the family to ensure the Dominguez children and their father feel some sort of comfort and support in their time of grief.
“Spiritual support is very valuable. When some one dies, those left behind don”t know why and there are a lot of questions,” Pastor Trudy Eusebi said. “We want to do everything we can to make their holiday easier and let them know that there are people out there who they can reach out to.”
Miguel Dominguez is left to the children on his own. Angelica, 9, Mariah, 10, Angel, 11, Jeremiah, 12, Isaiah, 13 and Isaac, 14, said their mother was very loving and humorous and that they feel a little lost without her.
“She took really good care of us,” they said. “She was always smiling and having fun. We love her and we miss her a lot.”
Bernadett Dominguez, 32, had cervical cancer. Her family said they thought she was recovering well. However, in the week prior to Thanksgiving, she experienced what her husband believes may have been kidney failure. “The day before she died she was cutting Isaac”s hair and she appeared to be fine,” Miguel Dominguez said. “Then her kidneys just shut down and she went into a coma.”
Rachel Martinez said that her longtime best friend”s focus was always on her family. “She just wanted the best for her kids. She wanted to make sure they had everything they needed,” Martinez said. “Bernadett would often tell me that she would give her life for her kids. She wanted them to have everything in the world.”
Bernadett Dominguez was often the primary provider for her family as her husband was employed as a seasonal laborer. Being in between jobs at present, Miguel Dominguez said he anticipates a tough winter ahead. “Everything is going to be a struggle for awhile from getting propane to power the stove to firewood to heat the house,” he said.
Deeper Life Christian Fellowship has adopted the family and plans to bring Christmas to the Dominguez doorstep. Pastor Trudy said the congregation would like to continue its support past the holiday season.
Those wishing to contribute to the family and the church”s effort to assist them may contact Pastor Trudy at 994-8955 for more information. For making donations directly to the family, contact Miguel Dominguez at 995-2459 or send donation to P.O. Box 5653, Clearlake, Calif. 95422.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
