How one Haitian mom’s journey put son on path to become NYC’s Health Commissioner
Dr. Alister Martin opens up about his mother’s “blood of Dessalines” encouragement, the medical superheroes who inspired him and tackling social issues impacting our health
by Macollvie J. NeelMay. 31, 2026
“Growing up was, if there was ever something that I felt like I couldn’t do, my mom would say, ‘You have the blood of Dessalines in you. You have greatness in you. You have resilience in you.”
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin reflects on his Haitian upbringing, his mother’s journey from immigrant worker to global professional and cancer survivor in this wide-ranging interview. His story also highlights a commitment to community-rooted public health that seeks to address social ills as well as treat health problems.
NEW YORK — At 11 years old, a boy in Jackson Heights overheard a startling conversation that put him on the path to becoming Dr. Alister Martin, commissioner of the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). After his Haitian-born mother had been diagnosed with metastatic cancer, her friend asked what would happen to the boy when she died.
But, three years later, after chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, she was cancer-free.
