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During the past 30 years, Dr. Suzanne Afflalo has been well-known for spending much of her free time volunteering in underserved communities providing health education and free medical services. Her Community Health and Resource Fair, alone, helps more than 350 residents of southeastern San Diego each month.
Afflalo’s motivations can be traced back to her upbringing and extraordinary mother, Esmie.
“I have never forgotten where I came from or my mother’s influence,” she said.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Afflalo and two of her four siblings were raised in Los Angeles by their mother.
They lived in poverty sharing a two-bedroom one bath home with 11 people. When Afflalo was 10 her family moved to their own rental in the same predominantly Black neighborhood.
“My mother did domestic work during the day and went to school at night,” Afflalo said. “She wanted to become a registered nurse. She would take a nap between jobs and school and I became the homemaker. I would cook, do laundry and clean the house.”
Although the neighborhood had drugs and gangs, Afflalo said she was too busy for that lifestyle.
Her mother instilled strong values in the children, including compassion for others. She would regularly read them Bible passages and they attended Catholic school.
“My mother always helped people even though we had nothing,” Afflalo recalled. “She would take people in who needed shelter.
“She emphasized education and ...
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