Lee

Resilience. It just means you keep going.

Jason

Acknowledging the massive scope of a person's life is daunting.

Lee

My name is Lee May. I live in Aptos, California, and I've been living with multiple myeloma for the last 11 years.

Jason

My name's Jason Cheeseman-Meyer. I am an artist, and I'm here to make a painting of Lee that encompasses more than just his likeness, but his story and his personality.

Lee

I think I just want to express what I've been going through and what my thoughts are and tell my story.

Lee

Hi, Jason.

Jason

Hi there.

Lee

Around December of 2010, I developed this pain in my rib. Couple of months passed and I still got the pain there. I can't really lift things. At that point, I knew I was in trouble.

Lee

Recently, I've been told that I've relapsed again. It's a funny feeling when you're doing well. You don't even think of yourself as someone who's got an illness. But then when you relapse, and things come back, it all kind of comes flooding back to you. It's pretty tough on the whole family.

Jason

Would you say your love has grown stronger since your diagnosis?

Lee

Yeah. Absolutely. We've been married for close to 40 years now. Love to be able to grow old with my wife. Now it looks like I'm actually going to live long enough to see a grandkid, which, when I was first diagnosed, I didn't think was a thing.

Jason

I'm hoping to give Lee an artwork that helps him see how the rest of the world sees him.

Lee

Pleasure. Thank you so much.

Jason

Genuine pleasure.

Jason

Before I interviewed Lee, I had had this idea that I was trying to present him as the people who loved and admired him saw him. After talking with him about his life and multiple myeloma and about Shelley, I quickly decided it was more important to make a painting for him than a painting of him.

Shelley

Really appreciate every day and the days that Lee feels good. It's so bright, the sky's bluer. And then there are dark days. But the little stuff just doesn't matter as much.

Jason

Them baking together when they were just kind of swirling around each other just seemed so expressive and so true about how they come alive in each other's presence.

Lee

I don't think people realize what caregivers go through. They're there with you at all the doctor meetings, they try to be cheerleaders. They try to take care of your needs.

Jason

Well, we're going to have Lee and Shelley come in and see the painting for the first time. I really want it to feel like a gift to Lee.

Lee

Oh my God. That is incredible.

Shelley

That is so great. Thank you.

Jason

You're so welcome.

Lee

That's kind of mind blowing.

Shelley

It really is.

Lee

Trying to envision what you were going to be doing. That did not come to my mind at all. That is great.

Jason

Everything I know about your story and discussion of living with multiple myeloma, this was the truest thing I knew about you.

Lee

It's a long way after my original prognosis expired. That painting really gives me an appreciation for how lucky I've been.

Shelley

This painting represents to me being in life.

Lee

Hopefully this provides a bit of inspiration for people who are facing a challenge like this. If it could do that, I would be so thrilled and so touched by that.