In an effort to honor our beloved boss and dear friend Hortensia Neely, my company, Global LT has decided to take part in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Detroit this year.  To celebrate Hortensia's bravery and "go get 'em" attitude, we are asking for your help to make this a huge success.

Most of you have never had the privilege of meeting Hortensia.  I assure you that if you ever have the opportunity to do so, you would love her as much as we do.  I had the pleasure of meeting Hortensia in the Summer of 2005 when I accepted a position with her company.  She is one of the most amazing women I have met in my life, thusfar.

I remember the first time I met Hortensia.  It was my first day on the job.  A few minutes after getting settled into my new cubicle home, I saw Hortensia walking down the aisle towards me.  She was exceptionally friendly, greeting everyone along the way.  She was little and cute, dressed to the nines, with a sweet, Latin-American accent.  She was coming to meet the new kid on the block.

With a warm smile and a handshake, she introduced herself, and welcomed me to the team.  It must've been apparent to her that i was nervous and completely overwhelmed, as she kindly assured me to relax, and that I would fit in just fine.  After a few more words of encouragement, she was off to meet and greet the rest of the office that morning.

This practice didn't stop.  Every morning, Hortensia would greet everyone with a friendly smile.  She was the life of the office.  Just seeing her, or hearing her voice across the office would bring a smile to your face on your most stressful of days.  Hortensia's amazing personality and love for people brought an extremely positive vibe to the office.

America’s Dreamer

To label Hortensia a success story would be a vicious understatement.  She arrived in the U.S. as a teenager, a Cuban immigrant fleeing the Castro regime with her family.  She came to this country with nothing, and throughout her life has come to acquire everything.  Her successes are numerous.

In 1979, Hortensia founded my company, Global LT to provide customized language training services for corporations.  Over the past 27 years, Global LT has grown phenomenally, providing destination services, translation solutions, and cultural training in addition to language lessons, worldwide.  Just last year, Global LT was named one of the top 100 diversity-owned businesses in Michigan. 

The Bad News

When we learned that Hortensia had been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, there was a kind of hush that fell over the office.  Everyone was extremely saddened by the news.  But as the old phrase goes, bad things happen to good people, and this time it was devastating.

Hortensia is currently undergoing intensive treatment to battle her cancer, while participating in a clinical trial.  With lots of support from friends and family, her positive attitude, and her lust for life, Hortensia will come out on top.  In our hearts, we know that Hortensia will fight it with her strong will and determination alone.  She has faith, and we all have undying faith in her.

In her personal and professional lives, Hortensia is a natural "giver."  She is the kind of person that would do anything for you.  She has a passion for sharing her time, knowledge, energy, and money to help others.  Last year, Hortensia donated a laptop computer to a local no-kill animal shelter that needed to update its resources.  In addition to that, she volunteered her personal time to teach a Spanish language survival course to members of our office.  Recently, she donated a generous amount of money to Beaumont Hospital, her treatment hospital, to assist them with their breast cancer research. 

On March 13th, Hortensia organized a breast cancer seminar at our Troy office.  There were three presenters that informed us of all aspects of breast cancer, from the diagnosis to the reconstruction.  Hortensia wanted to educate everyone about this life-changing event, and to stress the importance of regular screenings.

So far, everyone has reached out with their love and support for Hortensia.  She has inspired us all with her bravery and determination.  Now it's our turn to be the "givers," in honor of her overwhelming generosity.

Please make a donation in honor of Hortensia for the Race for the Cure.  Your donation will be used wisely for breast cancer education, research, screening, and treatments.  Together, help us in our efforts to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.  In our hearts, we know that Hortensia will be able to fight it.  Her extremely positive attitude, strong will, and determination will get her through it all.

To make a donation, please visit my Race for the Cure teammember site at:  http://www.active.com/donate/detroitRFTC/kdJForce