Dr. Hagop Kantarjian, charcoal and pencil on watercolor paper, by Mary Ellis LaGarde
Mary’s husband, Richard, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in February of 2016. Mary has been with him through three hospitalizations, three rounds of chemotherapy, and a stem cell transplant. Mary used her time in the hospital to sketch Richard’s leukemia doctor, Dr. Hagop Kantarjian. He is the chair of the leukemia department at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Mary was greatly impressed by Dr. Kantarjian because he is one of those rare individuals who is as comfortable using the left side of his brain as his right. In fact, when he is not researching a cure for leukemia or treating patients, Dr. Kantarjian is painting large paintings in the Fauvist style. His brightly colored paintings line the hall of the faculty offices at MD Anderson. Mary says she wanted to capture the compassion in he eyes as he is one of those doctors who deeply cares for his patients and goes to battle for them on a daily basis.