Eyeworld

DECEMBER 2020 | EYEWORLD | 25 'Always acknowledge others' "Dr. Crandall was a giant in the field of ophthalmology. For me he was a mentor, friend, and a global outreach partner," said Susan MacDonald, MD. "We all need someone who inspires us to be better than we know how, and he was that person for thousands of people. "He taught me to be meticulous with my surgery, to keep my mind quiet to improve my surgical and clinical judgment," Dr. MacDonald said. "He taught me how to lead from within, to always acknowledge others and the contribu- tions they were making. Working hard during outreach was not enough; we also needed to develop friendships, support our team, and celebrate our work. "I know many of us hear him every time we operate, but we can also feel his love when we do his work to help the poor and reduce preventable cataract blindness. When you feel the joy of another person's restored sight, you will feel Alan." Crandall who was open to innovation, creativity, and thinking outside the box. "He totally opened my eyes to what we can accomplish as clinicians and surgeons," he said. All of Dr. Crandall's accolades, surgical prowess, humanitarian giving was done in a quiet way, Dr. Ahmed said. "To have the success in everything he had accomplished and to be so unassuming, so hum- ble … he defines the ideal form of humanity," Dr. Ahmed continued. Dr. Ahmed also described Dr. Crandall as having a can-do attitude and the ability to "will people to get better; he willed people to learn." "I know it's not evidence based, but the power of positive thinking, there is something to it. Whether it's placebo or not, it's a very power- ful way to heal and bring people together. That power is something that he had." 'A life enthusiastically and fully lived' Dictionaries should include a picture of Alan under their definition of "humanitarian," said Roger Furlong, MD. Outreach work with Dr. Crandall and his wife, Julie, Dr. Furlong said, helped make him into a better, more complete person. "When it came to helping those in need, Alan was the first to start working in the morn- ing, refuse offers to break/eat/drink all day, and still be the one to agree to keep going into the dark hours as long as one more person was sitting in the queue. His stamina was unreal … and it was all done quietly with a warm smile," Dr. Furlong said. Dr. Furlong described Dr. Crandall as a "volatile mixture of adventurous and fearless" that drove him toward amazing, fulfilling, and at times crazy endeavors. "We enjoyed scenic and remote fishing trips with Alan, and he hiked to many places that his titanium-augmented chassis had no business going. Despite that, he was never the last one down the trail or back to camp," Dr. Furlong said, adding later, "As the saying goes, if your life is a car, you don't want to return it in mint condition with low miles and no scratches. Alan took that to heart and brought his baby in slid- ing across the finish line sideways, tires smok- ing, hubcaps flying, and front quarter panel caved in. A life enthusiastically and fully lived." Dr. Crandall sat among the luggage while on a mission trip. In a similar situation, a phaco machine once fell on him, causing him to fracture one of the vertebrae in his neck. He continued the mission work and sought care when he returned home. Source: Moran Eye Center/Flickr

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