Sting Gets Late New York Police Officer's Art Work with Help of Daughter Mickey Sumner

Claudia Harmata
·6 min read

A late New York police officer's final wish has come true.

Earlier this month, the popular Humans of New York blog shared the heartwarming story of one interviewee who revealed that her beloved, late stepdad — who worked as an officer in the city for two decades before he died of multiple sclerosis — had tasked her with getting one of his paintings of Sting (né Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner) to the rocker himself.

On Thursday, the blog revealed that his dying wish had come true with the help of Sting's daughter Mickey Sumner, who got into contact with the woman and arranged to have the painting given to her father.

The musician posed with the painting for a few photos shared on the blog's Facebook and Instagram page. In one, Sting even imitated the painting.

"THE EAGLE HAS LANDED. Thanks so much to @sumnermickey for helping get our precious cargo to her father," the blog shared, later adding that Sumner had also teamed up with the woman to start a fundraiser in her late stepdad's honor.

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THE EAGLE HAS LANDED. Thanks so much to @sumnermickey for helping get our precious cargo to her father. She’s also teamed up with Elizabeth to create a fundraiser in Domingo’s memory. All donations will benefit the National MS society, and aid in the fight to end Multiple Sclerosis forever. So let’s keep the party going! Link in bio.

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on May 28, 2020 at 10:16am PDT

RELATED: Sting's Daughter Mickey Sumner Helps Woman Fulfill Her Late Stepfather's Dying Wish

"She's also teamed up with Elizabeth to create a fundraiser in Domingo's memory," they shared. "All donations will benefit the National MS society, and aid in the fight to end Multiple Sclerosis forever. So let's keep the party going!"

In the original blog post, the woman, Elizabeth Santiago, explained that she first met her stepdad, Domingo Santiago, when she was 5 years old — around the same time he started "making my mother smile."

He became a police officer to provide stability for his new family after the couple decided to get married. He previously worked "at an auto shop, airbrushing designs onto the side of vans" because "he dreamed of being an artist." Still, she said "he never lost touch with his creative side" after switching careers.

"One day, he built a little art studio at the back of our house," Elizabeth told the blog. "He painted a single painting — a portrait of Sting that he copied from an album cover."

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“I was five when he became a person in my world. I didn’t know exactly who he was. I just knew that there was someone around that was making my mother smile. I had to look way up to see him. I’d never met someone so strong. He’d tell me to hold onto his wrist, and he’d lift me into the sky with one hand. He worked at an auto shop, airbrushing designs onto the side of vans. I think he dreamed of being an artist. But he needed something more stable. So after he decided to marry my mom, he became a cop. He never lost touch with his creative side. He was always building things around the house—making things look fancier than we could afford. He built my first bike from scraps. He encouraged me to read. He encouraged me to write. He loved giving me little assignments. He’d give me a quarter every time I wrote a story. Fifty cents if it was a good one. Whenever I asked a question, he’d make me look it up in the encyclopedia. One day he built a little art studio at the back of our house. And he painted a single painting—a portrait of Sting that he copied from an album cover. But he got busy with work and never used the studio again. He was always saying: ‘when I retire.’ ‘I’ll go back to art, when I retire.’ ‘I’ll show in a gallery, when I retire.’ But that time never came. Dad was a cop for twenty years. He was one of the good ones. The kind of cop you see dancing on the street corner. Or skateboarding with kids. But in 1998 he was diagnosed with MS. First there was a little weakness. Then there was a cane. Then there was a wheelchair. It got to the point where he couldn’t even hold a paintbrush. We did his hospice at home. He seemed to have no regrets. He’d been a wonderful provider. He’d raised his daughters. He’d walked me down the aisle. During his final days, we were going through his possessions, one by one. He was telling me who to give them to. I pulled the Sting painting out of an old box, and asked: ‘What should I do with this?’ His response was immediate. ‘Give it to Sting,’ he said. All of us started laughing. But Dad grew very serious. His eyes narrowed. He looked right at me, and said: ‘Give it to Sting.’ So I guess that’s my final assignment.”

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on May 19, 2020 at 11:57am PDT

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In 1998, Domingo was diagnosed with MS, and Elizabeth said his symptoms from the disease — which affects the brain and spinal cord and gradually causes the immune system to attack the body — started with "a little weakness" but eventually caused her stepdad to need a wheelchair. After some time, "he couldn't even hold a paintbrush."

"We did his hospice at home. He seemed to have no regrets," she told the outlet. "He'd been a wonderful provider. He'd raised his daughters. He'd walked me down the aisle."

During his final days, they were going through his possessions and when they came across the painting of Sting he asked his stepdaughter to give it to the musician. "So I guess that's my final assignment," she had said.

Sumner saw the post and got in touch with her, helping fulfill that final wish. Anyone looking to donate to the fundraiser can do so at GoFundMe.