Crawford Brown Edwards III

Crawford Brown Edwards, III died on March 5, 2022. Crawford was born in Macon, Georgia on May 20, 1999 to Kristy and Brown Edwards and his two sisters, Christine and Milly Parks. He was predeceased by both his paternal grandfather, Crawford Brown Edwards, and his maternal grandfather, John Matt Bingham. Survivors include his paternal grandmother, Mildred Taylor Edwards Dennis and his maternal grandmother, Vivian Howard Bingham. His precious family includes numerous devoted aunts and uncles and many cousins.

A Celebration of his Life will be held 11:00 AM Friday, March 11, 2022 at Christ Church with private burial. Rev. Cynthia C. Knapp will officiate. A visitation will be held from 5 until 7 PM Thursday at the residence of Bonnie and Joe Starr, 4533 Old Club Road, Macon 31210. Donations may be made to fund OI research to Shriners Hospitals for Children, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, Florida 33607, The OI Foundation P.O. Box 824061 Philadelphia, PA 19182-4061, Stratford Academy, 6010 Peake Road, Macon 31220 or Christ Church, 582 Walnut Street, Macon, 31201.

Shortly after Crawford’s birth, he was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Type III which is commonly known as OI or Fragile Bones. At the time of his death at 22 years of age, he had suffered over 53 broken bones, 28 surgeries, and over 60 trips to Montreal. It was there in Montreal that he was one of the first participants in the newly developed protocol and scientific study discovered by Dr. Francis Glorieux and his team through Shriners and McGill University. It was Shriners who cared for Crawford’s entire medical needs: treatments, diagnostics, equipment, therapy, and every other aspect of his health and well-being from birth to 21 years of age. Without this excellent care, it is unimaginable what his life might have been like.

Crawford was a student at Sonny Carter Elementary School and then transferred to Stratford Academy in the fifth grade and it is from there he graduated in 2017. During these school years he made many life- long friends in both his classmates and teachers. He loved playing Miracle League, a nonprofit baseball league for the challenged and disabled.

It was during his senior year at Stratford that he had to undergo an extensive surgery to lift and support his spine off his heart and lungs. He recovered in time to graduate and matriculate into the University of Georgia with the Zell Miller Scholarship. He pledged Kappa Alpha Fraternity and enjoyed fun, football, and wonderful friendships. He was working towards becoming a Sports Psychologist, a dream he had because of his great interest and deep passion for sports, namely the NBA and college football. His fascination and admiration for elite athletes allowed him to live vicariously through them; a way he could experience sports being disabled. He marveled at the elegance and awesome power that those athletes possessed.

Between January and June of 2019, Crawford had 6 surgeries to rod his arm and shunt his brain to protect him from the threatening hydrocephalus. He was very sick for most of those 6 months and could not attend college. He went through all these trials with grace dignity and stoicism.

Being a true extrovert, the Covid quarantine added an extra layer of difficulty because it isolated him and kept him from his friends and studies. He was also dealing with broken jaw hinges and a perpetually broken arm which would not heal. He dealt valiantly with this period of his life.

As the world crisis with Coronavirus eased and he got a bit better, he was able to enroll in Middle Georgia State University and was a student there at his death. He was employed at his beloved alma mater, Stratford Academy, where he was reunited with his favorite teachers and staff and worked as a substitute teacher and tutor.

Crawford was passionate about such subjects as how the universe worked- cosmology- the meaning of life, the battle of good versus evil, heroism, and stoicism. He was able to engage on these broad and deep topics and worked to understand the mysteries and meaning of life. He did this in a simple, direct manner and his intellect was easily accessible to anyone. It should be noted that though he was capable and enjoyed these topics, he was also sharply funny. He read and emulated Marcus Aurelius, he was an admirer of Jordan Peterson, fascinated with Stephen Hawking, and adored Kobe Bryant. He drew inspiration from the lyrics and music of Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and other artists who described their profound struggles to which he could relate.

He embraced life and did not resist the truth of his disease. It was through his acceptance and working with it that he was able to cope with the barrage of ongoing health problems. He lived with daily pain which was sometimes tolerable and sometime so intense it robbed him of activity. He chose to overcome until the disease overcame him.

That resilience and endurance he exhibited could be measured by the sheer number of breaks, surgeries, and medical events. Despite all of it, he remained hopeful and made plans for his future and felt things would be better. As he got older, he realized the risk even simple tasks like errands, navigating ramps and doors, getting dressed and even standing up presented. He lived with the constant potential that his bones could and often did break suddenly- anywhere at any time. He moved through life hoping they wouldn’t. Just getting up out of bed took courage.

Crawford had no answers as to why he was born like he was- he was never bitter or resentful. He was quietly resolved and accepting of his reality and its potential to worsen. By allowing us into his life, to help him and comfort him and to love him, he taught us more about living and gratitude than we could ever learn alone. His brilliance far outshined any shadow that Osteogensis Imperfecta could ever cast over him. It seemed that the more his physical body deteriorated, the more he was able to embody the ineffable.

One of his favorite quotes was from Winston Churchill: “When you're going through Hell, keep going” and he did until such a time, on Saturday March 5th he didn't have to anymore and God carried him home, healed and relieved.

Visit www.snowsmacon.com to express tributes.

Snow’s Memorial Chapel, Bass Road, has charge of arrangements.