OPTICAL PRISM | NEXT GEN stumbled upon . Fortunately , this gift has carried forward through my years in school and now in my everyday practice .”
Now , Dr . Yang is the clinic director and owner of Alluminate Eyecare in Mississauga , Ont .
It ’ s inside those walls that he ’ s made his most memorable connections with patients .
Just one month after opening , a couple who recently immigrated from Central America walked through the doors in desperate need of care .
“ The husband did not speak any English at all and his wife spoke little English at best ,” Yang recalls . “ I came to find out the husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had about a year to live .”
The man ’ s favourite activity was watching Netflix on his iPad but he could no longer see it clearly with his old glasses , so , it was Dr . Yang to the rescue .
“ He told me that all the previous eye doctors he saw back home were more concerned about his prostate cancer spreading to his eyes and seemed to have neglected , in his words , this very important issue .”
Dr . Yang ’ s ultimate goal was to help this man enjoy the last stretch of his life with a new prescription .
Superhero doc delivers super sight
By David Goldberg
Dr . Alvin Yang is a superhero to his patients .
And just like Canada ’ s favourite caped crusaders , his heroics wouldn ’ t exist without a fascinating origin story .
It all began with his first job in high school , working as an activity aid in the dementia ward of a retirement home .
“ It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me ,” recalls Yang . “ It taught me the value of patient care and self-care . Being able to care for others and truly establishing a human connection was the most beautiful gift that 16-year-old me could have
“ Tears started to roll down his cheeks . I looked at his wife and she burst into tears . He grabbed my hand and said , ‘¡ Eres fabuloso ! Muchas gracias !’ And with my very limited Spanish , I replied , ‘ Si .’”
Always ambitious and looking to help others , Dr . Yang is a champion of community outreach .
“ Over the past few years , my focus has been educating the public about the importance of eye care ... especially in the non-English speaking population . We have done patient education talks in community centres . We ’ ve also organized in-home visits to retirement and group homes .”
For Yang , the true measure of success has always been his ability to help others and his advice for anyone looking to realize a dream is to define what success means to you .
“ One person ’ s success could be another person ’ s nightmare ,” he says , “ The more clarity you have , the easier it will be to attain your vision .” OP
28 OPTICAL PRISM | October 2020