Jacksonville doctor helping people in Bahamas says they are some of the most grateful people

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville doctor helping Bahamians in need said they are some of the most grateful people, despite losing everything.

"We can only imagine what they went through. That big smile in front of their face. They are so resilient, they don't show what they went through," said Dr. Michael Baptista, with Jax Surgical.

Baptista wants his patients to keep on smiling as he helps them recover. A ship took him and several other doctors to the Bahamas on Sunday. They went door to door trying to help people, never knowing what they were going to find.

"Today, we found two people dead in a house and we notified the utility trucks going around that they need to go there," he said.

Baptista said he knows he's helping, but it's just the beginning.

"They need a lot of things. They are our neighbors," Baptista said.

The hours are long. The work is hard. But he can't wait to come back.

"You come here and you make someone a little happier, and man, that is so rewarding," he said.

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