It’s been rough days for the family of longtime local painter, art instructor, and mural artist Cynthia Newberry.
Stricken with an aggressive form of cancer, the former Ben Lomond resident is now sadly in her final days, entirely bedridden and beyond the help of medicine a mere five months after she was diagnosed.
As recently as last summer, Newberry’s two-decade art career was in full swing.
“We were literally painting a mural together 5 months ago,” said Sarah Murphy, Newberry’s daughter.
Newberry, who graduated from San Lorenzo Valley High School, dove headfirst into a career in painting some 20 years ago after she painted a picture for her employer, decided it was her calling, and never looked back.
She has taught art to numerous adults and children as a teacher in schools throughout Santa Cruz County — including a year at Brook Knoll Elementary School, where Newberry’s granddaughter attends.
Newberry’s murals can be found throughout the county, Murphy said, including in the Montevalle community in Scotts Valley.
“That was her passion was art,” Murphy said. “She’s very, very involved in the community.”
It was while working on the mural last summer, Murphy said, her mother — known to many as Cindy Simpkins, her maiden name — complained of a sore shoulder. Several days later, tests showed a clavicle broken due to bones weakened by cancer.
Murphy, a Scotts Valley resident, described her mother’s treatment as an obstacle-filled nightmare, with doctors unable to quickly determine the type of cancer affecting Newberry, and — with time of the essence — obstinate insurance companies refusing to cover additional testing.
“Her insurance wouldn’t cover specialized testing,” Murphy said.
Donors had raised approximately $20,000 via GiveForward.com for the additional testing — but, by then, the cancer had spread and it was determined that chemotherapy would only prolong the inevitable.
“They couldn’t figure out what kind of cancer it was — it took too long and it was too late,” Murphy said. “We decided to stop the chemo … (the doctor) said it wasn’t going to help her survive.”
To make their mother’s last days more comfortable, Newberry’s daughters are asking their community to help their mother one last time, working with local businesses and artists to host Unite 4 Cindy, a wine-tasting fundraiser and auction event that they hope will raise funds to hire a caregiver for the round-the-clock care Newberry needs, as well as to help allay the eventual funeral costs.
The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23 at Bargetto Winery, and will feature wine tasting, a live and silent auction, works of art for sale, music, and a raffle.
“Bargetto agreed to put 30 percent of wine sales toward the event,” Murphy said. “The biggest thing we’re trying to get out there is it’s all of us coming together.”
She said that the goal is to host 200 people at the event and raise $5,000.
“All we want for her is to be as comfortable as possible with the care and medical attention she needs,” Murphy said.
For more information, visit http://unite4cindy.ticketleap.com/brave.
Unite4Cindy
When: Friday, Jan. 23
Where: Bargetto Winery, 3535 North Main Street in Soquel
Details: A fundraiser event to help with the end-of-life costs for local artist Cynthia Newberry.
Cost: $25 for wine tasting, appetizers, music, and a raffle
Info: http://unite4cindy.ticketleap.com/brave
