A New York City police officer's dying wish was for his painting of Sting to one day reach the former Police frontman himself.
Thanks to the daughters of both men, that dream has become reality.
Elizabeth Santiago shared the poignant story of being raised by her stepfather and his dying wish for his painting with the blog Humans of New York on May 19, which caught the eye of the music star's daughter, actress Mickey Sumner.
Sumner got in contact with Santiago, and Humans of New York shared the news on Thursday that "THE EAGLE HAS LANDED" alongside a photo of Sting posing with the painting on Instagram.
Santiago detailed in an earlier Instagram post how her stepfather, Domingo Santiago, a police officer for 20 years, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998.
Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that affects a person’s brain and spinal cord. Almost 1 million people live with MS in the U.S., according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
"During his final days, we were going through his possessions, one by one," Santiago said. "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."
Domingo Santiago had "dreamed of being an artist" and built a small art studio behind their home while working as a police officer, according to his daughter.
"And he painted a single painting—a portrait of Sting that he copied from an album cover,'' she said. "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."
The Humans of New York Facebook page also shared multiple photos of Sting posing with the painting.
Elizabeth Santiago also created a fundraiser with Sumner to bring in donations to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It has already brought in more than $40,000.
Domingo Santiago's one and only painting reaching its intended recipient couldn't help but leave people smiling.
"This is incredible," one Facebook commenter wrote. "What an amazing thing to have happened. Her father is so proud of her right, and his legacy will live on."