TALKS
Dr. Jeffrey Levenson | Eye Surgeon & Visionary
Cataracts cause nearly half of all blindness worldwide—even though a safe, 15-minute surgery can restore sight. For 35 years, Jacksonville’s Gift of Sight program has quietly provided that cure to poor and uninsured people, restoring vision—and with it, dignity and independence—to thousands on the First Coast. Founded and led by Dr. Jeffrey Levenson, it proves what’s possible when a community refuses to accept needless blindness.
This homegrown initiative made Jacksonville an unlikely beacon of hope for the medically indigent—and the backdrop for YouTube creator MrBeast’s collaboration with Dr. Levenson, documenting 1,000 free surgeries performed locally and abroad. This video, viewed more than 200 million times, has become the most impactful cataract awareness campaign in history, sparking outrage, inspiring action, and igniting a global conversation.
Jacksonville has shown what’s possible. The challenge now is whether other cities will follow. And will we commit to scaling this model so that no American community accepts blindness as inevitable?
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If you’d like to support more of this sight restoring work, visit https://visionispriceless.org/gift-of-sight/ or https://www.ascrs.org/foundation/operation-sight.
Dr. Jeffrey Levenson is a leading eye surgeon, clinical researcher, and humanitarian dedicated to ending preventable blindness. Thirty-five years ago, he founded Jacksonville’s Gift of Sight program, which has restored vision to thousands of uninsured and medically indigent patients across the First Coast. As Chief Medical Officer of SEE International, he helps coordinate more than 150 cataract surgery missions each year across 40 countries. He also serves on the board of Vision is Priceless, Jacksonville’s leading vision charity. His viral collaboration with YouTube creator MrBeast, viewed over 200 million times, has brought global attention to the solvable crisis of needless blindness.
