Posted Thursday, May 28, 2026 9:47 am
By Kyla Woodard
kyla@claytodayonline.com

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ORANGE PARK - Each day that Dr. Jeffrey Levenson wakes up is one where he vows to change the world and make it a better place.

One where the future is bright and clear for all.

An ophthalmologist for 41 years, Levenson prides himself in making sure that sight isn't just a virtue, but a gift. According to the American Foundation for the Blind, a 2024 National Health Interview Survey estimated that 49.5 million Americans age 18 or older reported experiencing some amount of difficulty seeing.

And Levenson said roughly 10% of all Americans don't have any health insurance, often leading to a delay in getting proper eye care.

"We've got probably 100,000 people in the five-county Jacksonville area who don't have any health insurance. And sometimes they get cataracts and sometimes they go blind."

Levenson opened Levenson Eye Associates on Park Avenue 38 years ago. Since then, he said he's made it his mission to make sure no one is needlessly blind.

The Gift of Sight program was birthed as a way help uninsured individuals regain their vision through free cataract surgery.

"As far back as 38 years ago, I just made a rule in my office that nobody's going to be blind because they can't afford a cataract surgery. And I just started doing them and not charging people."

Over time, Levenson got acquainted with Vision is Priceless- a nonprofit providing free vision screenings, eye exams, glasses and specialty eye care to children and adults in Jacksonville. From there, he said, a partnership blossomed.

Each year, they find between 50 and 100 blind or nearly blind people and provide free sight-restoring surgeries. Patients must be a resident of Northeast Florida, uninsured, legally blind in both eyes due to cataracts and meet the limited income guidelines

In the 35 years that the program has been active, Levenson said they have helped more than thousands in need, including many in Clay County. He said it's the most cost-effective medical intervention strategy.

"It's the single most gratifying thing I do," Levenson said. "These are people who are on the one hand, desperate, and on the other hand incredibly grateful for the opportunity to get their eyes back."

Those who have exhausted their resources, he said, have a place of hope. One where being turned away isn't an option.

"We are recognizing and respecting the dignity of people who are downtrodden and often depressed and hopeless. Restoring sight to the blind is really important, but recognizing the dignity in every person is another thing the program delivers."

Getting more eyes on the impactful program is the goal, Levenson said. He reached a few steps closer a few years ago when he got a mysterious call from someone who came across his TED Talk episode.

The "kid' was then 24-year-old James Stephen Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, a popular YouTuber known for high-budget challenges, massive giveaways and viral stunts. At the time, he was rounding 100 million subscribers, but to date he's reached nearly 500 million.

He wanted to be a part of Levenson's mission.

"There was something about the way he was talking made me suspect I probably shouldn't hang up."

Together the two visited various cities around the country, giving free eye exams and surgeries to more than 1,000 patients in three weeks. The first 40, he said, were done in Jacksonville.

The video was viewed more than 200 million times.

"All of a sudden, the whole world was talking about the problem of needless blindness," Levenson said. "And the fact that half of all the blindness in the world are people who need a 10-minute surgery."

Levenson said more traction is evident. Last year, the House introduced the See the Board Act- a grant program aimed at providing free eye care services to students in public elementary and secondary schools.

The World Health Organization also added vision health to its list of target projects, Levenson said.

But he added that more can be done. He said the goal is to expand the program to the rest of the world.

So far, he said hundreds of doctors from around the country have offered to volunteer with the program and provide the services at their practices.

"It's a program that's pretty unique to Jacksonville, but there's no reason that we couldn't be doing this all throughout the United States."

He's just one voice in a sea of millions. But each time he amplifies it to make someone's life better, it means that his work is worth the while.

"It's cool to have a job where all I have to do is wake up in the morning, go to work and I'm making the world a better place."

Levenson said the nonprofit does free screenings once a month. To find one nearby, visit visionispriceless.org or call (904) 503-2423.