Doctor reveals why he almost didn't help Mr Beast cure blindness

Dr Jeff Levenson, the ophthalmologist who was a key part of the remarkable vision surgery performed in YouTuber MrBeast’s (Jimmy Donaldson) latest video, revealed that he almost turned down the content creator’s idea.

On Saturday (28 January), MrBeast, who has 131 million subscribers on YouTube, highlighted the cataract surgery of 1,000 people who couldn’t afford the cost of the procedure. The procedure can cost thousands of dollars through private healthcare.

The eight-minute-long video shows MrBeast and Levenson as he speaks on his work with the Gift of Sight program in Jacksonville, Florida.

It also chronicled the patients’ before and after their surgeries as they regained their vision.

They also received money and gifts from the content creator in some instances.

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

And as groundbreaking and miraculous as this is, Levenson explained how he almost “hung up” the phone on the popular YouTuber.

In a Facebook post from SEE International, the ophthalmologist and surgeon spoke about how his partnership with MrBeast and how it turned into something “incredible.”

“I got a call from a stranger. Told me his name was MrBeast, and that he’s kind of a big thing on YouTube,” Levenson said.

“I had never heard of MrBeast, so I almost hung up. But I gratefully did not hang up,” Levenson said.

Levenson’s eventual willingness can be deemed one of the reasons for the video’s virality, as it appears he was responsible for the surgeries present.

Also, MrBeast donated $100,000 to See International, which Levenson said would “bring sight to thousands of people,” alongside those they’ve already helped.

MrBeast’s video has over 73 million views at the time of writing. And the attention it garnered can definitely be a fantastic way to spread awareness for preventable blindness.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.