JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville ophthalmologist is renewing his push to cure one of the world’s most common, and most preventable, causes of blindness, using a model he says could work in communities nationwide.
Cataracts account for roughly half of all blindness globally, according to health experts, and can often be cured with a single surgery that takes about 10 minutes.
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For Jeffrey Yaple, the impact was immediate.
“You don’t feel anything. Not even any discomfort,” Yaple said. “It went black for a second, I saw a sparkly color — and then it cleared out. Whoa.”
Within moments, Yaple said his vision was restored.
“There was a time I couldn’t see 30 feet in front of me,” he said.
The surgery, performed by Dr. Jeffrey Levenson of Levenson Eye Associates, was provided at no cost through what Levenson calls the “Gift of Sight” program. It’s a community-based effort offering free cataract surgery to uninsured patients who are legally blind and unable to afford treatment.
“We do free cataract surgery on people who have no health insurance, who are blind, and who otherwise can’t afford their surgery,” Levenson said.
Levenson estimates the program helps between 50 and 100 people each year. Over more than three decades, he says, the effort has restored sight to thousands of patients in Northeast Florida and across the world.
For Yaple, the surgery was life-changing.
“I can build things now. I fabricate things,” he said. “I built my own pirate treasure chest. I built my own custom electric bicycle. Before, I could hardly do anything.”
Levenson’s work gained international attention after he appeared in a viral MrBeast YouTube video that has surpassed 200 million views. In the video, Levenson and the popular content creator traveled around the world performing free cataract surgeries on people suffering from blindness.
“We cured blindness for a thousand people,” Levenson said. “It was very likely the single most effective public information campaign about cataracts in the history of the world.”
The video helped raise awareness of how simple cataract surgery can be. During the procedure, surgeons remove the clouded natural lens of the eye and replace it with a clear artificial lens, restoring vision almost immediately.
Now, Levenson hopes to build on that momentum.
Last week, he hosted a TED Talk in Jacksonville focused on preventable blindness and expanding free cataract care programs across the country.
“There’s no reason if we can do this in Jacksonville, Florida, that we can’t do it in Jackson, Wyoming or any city in America,” Levenson said. “I’m hoping that my new TedTalk, will help to bring the unique Jacksonville gift of sight program to cities all around this country. I’m hoping it can serve as a clarion call and a, and a message to ophthalmologists and ophthalmic communities around this country.”
The TED Talk is expected to be released online within the next month.
If you need cataract surgery, you can apply for help here.