Daughter Gifts Sting A Painting Of Himself By Her Late Father To Fulfill His Final Wish
There are few things more painful and difficult than the loss of a loved one. Even when we know it's coming, it's hard to accept their death.
Following the loss of someone we love, we obviously want to honor their memory in the best way possible. One daughter decided to do one last thing for her stepfather after his passing.
Her Story Was Shared On Humans Of New York
Humans Of New York is an online blog that shares photos and stories of everyday citizens who live in the city.
One day, the blog interviewed a daughter named Elizabeth who was grieving following the passing of her stepfather.
He Came Into Her Life When She Was Five
Elizabeth was young, so she didn't really understand what it meant to have a stepfather at the very beginning.
She explained that she just found him very kind and strong and liked that there was someone around that was making her mother smile. Even though he was technically her stepdad, she just saw him as her father.
He Was Always A Creative Person
Her father had originally worked in an auto shop, airbrushing designs on the sides of vans.
Elizabeth mused that, despite becoming an NYPD officer for the job stability, she always believed he dreamed of being an artist.
He Was Often Creative In The Home
One day, her father decided to build a small art studio in the back of the house and painted one piece: an image of Sting, the lead singer from The Police.
While he was a great police officer who was friendly and kind, he always wanted to return to art when he retired and could put more time and energy into his painting.
However, That Opportunity Never Arrived
In 1998, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord.
While the disease initially only mildly weakened him, he soon needed a cane to walk, then a wheelchair to get around. By the end, he couldn't even hold a paintbrush.
He Lived A Pretty Amazing Life
During his final days, he and Elizabeth were sorting through his possessions and reliving some of their memories—he once built her a bike from scraps, how he encouraged her to read, and how he walked her down the aisle.
They came across his painting of Sting, and, when she asked what she should do with it, he said to give it to Sting himself.
Sting's Daughter Got Involved
Sting's daughter, Mickey Sumner, stumbled across the story and decided to get in touch with Elizabeth and help her on her mission.
Additionally, Sumner worked together with Elizabeth to set up a fundraiser in the memory of her father, Domingo Santiago, to donate toward supporting people living with multiple sclerosis and their families.
Elizabeth Was Able To Fulfill Her Father's Dying Wish
Sting ultimately received the painting, and Humans of New York was able to share the good news.
Elizabeth was able to rest easy knowing that she was able to do this one last thing for a father who had done so much for her in her life.
