YouTuber MrBeast and This Doctor Gave 1000 Blind People the Gift of Sight

MrBeast, the most popular YouTuber, recently posted a video “1,000 Blind People See For The First Time” (watch the video below). In it, MrBeast, (aka Jimmy Donaldson) shows blind people receiving a simple 10-minute surgery and being able to see again. Some of the patients also receive gifts like $10,000, money for college, and a Tesla. The video got 50 million views within 24 hours. It’s incredibly emotional and touching – you’ll probably be bawling within two minutes of watching it.

One of the doctors featured in the video is Dr. Jeffrey Levenson. He’s a board-certified ophthalmologist, medical director of Levenson Eye Associates in Jacksonville, Florida, and chief medical officer of SEE International, which provides eye care and surgery to underserved people around the world.

Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast

Five years ago, the doctor did a TEDx Talk in Santa Barbara, talking about how we can end preventable blindness with a fast and cheap cataract surgery procedure and give it to all patients, regardless their economic status. While other types of eye surgery are much more difficult, cataract surgery is relatively simple and inexpensive. The video caught the eye of MrBeast, who has 132 million subscribers.

#He said he wanted to do 1,000 surgeries in three weeks for people all around the word. It sounded crazy. I almost hung up. But I’m so glad I didn’t.

“I always hoped and dreamed the video would come to the attention of someone important who would help us move it forward,” said Levenson. “MrBeast called me out of the blue four months ago and told me he loved my talk and what I was doing. I never heard of him. He said he wanted to do 1,000 surgeries in three weeks for people all around the word. It sounded crazy. I almost hung up. But I’m so glad I didn’t.”

Since 1986, Levenson, a native New Yorker, has been working as an ophthalmologist. For 30 years, he’s been offering free, charitable surgery in his practice in Jacksonville. In 2009, he also started traveling around the world doing surgeries.

“It provides this dramatic opportunity to bring sight to blinded people and restore people’s livelihoods and opportunities,” he said. “It’s a wonderful blessing to have this job.”

In his work, Levenson discovered that half of all blindness in the world is due to cataracts, and 90% of cases of cataract issues are among the poorest people in the world. Cataracts are a normal part of aging, but they can get so serious and cloud the eye so that you can’t see anymore. With a 10-minute surgery, all that can be fixed.

Dr. Jeffrey Levenson

But there’s one major problem: the cost. While the surgery is only $30 or less in countries like India or the Philippines, it costs $2,000 in the United States.

“If people can get health insurance, it’s a covered benefit,” Levenson said. “But there are people who fall through the cracks who aren’t eligible for Medicare or Medicaid or can’t afford an ObamaCare plan. Roughly 10% of all Americans are uninsured, and $2,000 is a lot of money for most Americans. It’s a sizable number of people in the U.S. who can’t afford it.”

Levenson worked to resolve the problem abroad by making the surgery more efficient and less expensive through SEE International. And locally, he would offer free surgeries to those in need.

When MrBeast called, Levenson didn’t have any patients lined up; he usually takes them quickly and doesn’t keep a waiting list. There was a mad rush to find as many people as possible as he could in three weeks.

“I called the free medical clinic and found 40 people around Jacksonville without the means to pay for the surgery,” he said.

MrBeast came to his office and started filming interviews with the patients. In the final video, you can see a snippet of some of the interviews and a series of reveals when the patients take the bandages off. One man is able to see his son again, and they cry and hug in the moment.

“I can see everybody’s facial features now,” the man says. “Just a little blurry with my tears coming out.”

Dr. Jeffrey Levenson and MrBeast filming "1,000 Blind People See For The First Time" in Jacksonville.

A young man named Jeremiah had been blind in his right eye since he was born. He tells MrBeast he’s subscribed to his channel for a number of years and that he’s excited to see out of both of his eyes again. When they do the big reveal, Jeremiah can see; MrBeast hands him and his family a $50,000 check to pay for college.

“It was a heartwarming day for me,” Levenson said. “There were so many incredible stories.”

One story that wasn’t captured on tape featured a woman who lost her job, became homeless, and was sleeping on people’s couches because she couldn’t see. MrBeast’s team wanted to do something for her, but she didn’t have a bank account. So, they sent her a gift instead.

“My phone rang at night, and she was screaming with delight,” Levenson said. “MrBeast mailed her $10,000 worth of gift cards. It was an extraordinary expression of kindness and generosity that was reflective of the way MrBeast operates.”

In the final parts of the video, MrBeast goes around to places like Mexico, Honduras, Indonesia, and Brazil to finish the surgeries, with people from all walks of life thanking him for what he’s done.

Levenson, a father and grandfather, is grateful to be part of the project to contribute to the betterment of the world.

“Judaism believes that one of our roles is to make the world a better place,” he said. “In my own experience, charitable, humanitarian ophthalmologic outreach is a reflection of my mom and dad’s Jewish values and the generations who came before them.”

He continued, “I’d love to see the end of needless blindness. I don’t know that I’ll live long enough to see it, but I’d love to see measurable progress towards ending it.”

Want to support SEE International? You can donate on their website.