Las Vegas Monorail delivers riders to Make-A-Wish’s Destination Joy

A positive commotion on the Las Vegas Monorail: That alone is worthy of mention.

That the commotion was created by children, parents and volunteers kicking off the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Destination Joy fundraising campaign made the moment special.

Take the Abrahamsson twins, Maya and Leah, for example. The 4-year-olds did their best to hold still for a group photo on the monorail’s Flamingo platform. But with showgirls and Tom Jones and Elvis impersonators on hand, and television cameras capturing every move they made, their fidgeting was understandable.

Maya is a Make-A-Wish kid.

She was diagnosed with a rare malignant brain tumor on Sept. 21, 2005, three weeks before her third birthday. An MRI discovered that the cancer had metastasized with four tumors on the child’s spine. Emergency surgery at Sunrise Hospital and 18 months of chemotherapy saved the child’s life but also created challenging after-effects ranging from diminished eyesight to seizure disorders.

Maya’s eyeglasses, made necessary by the brain tumor, make her look studious and sweet.

Through her trials, she longed to meet an important character in every child’s life.

Winnie the Pooh, who else?

After six months of treatment, Maya wanted to go to Disneyland to meet Winnie the Pooh. Make-A-Wish sent the family on a vacation that helped everyone put their worries on a shelf for a few days.

“It was the first time since her surgery that I actually saw her smile,” the girls’ mother, Sheila Abrahamsson, says. “I was in tears most of the time. It was the first time since her surgery that we actually saw our daughter. To see that light in her eyes was just amazing.”

Sheila worked at the Rape Crisis Center until Maya’s cancer diagnosis. Father Jim is a local schoolteacher. Make-A-Wish picked up the tab for a vacation that the Abrahamssons, who faced catastrophic health care debts, could not afford. “It gives you memories,” Sheila says, her brown eyes misting. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

The Destination Joy program, promoted in part with a handsome wrapper advertisement, is the best reason I can think of to ride the monorail.

IT’S NOT UNUSUAL: Meanwhile, “Harmik,” who impersonates Tom Jones and will play the Four Queens this summer, donated his appearance check to Make-A-Wish during a break in the ceremony. The Elvis impersonator added his, too, and, yes, the charity’s officials said thank you, thank you very much.

“It’s not a big deal,” Harmik says. “I’m just doing whatever I can. What a wonderful cause.”

BRANCH OFFICE: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s Las Vegas headquarters is at 2202 W. Charleston Blvd. in a strip mall between the Philly Pub and the Vegas Oriental Market and Tea House, which offers a Filipino Metrobank remittance center and also sells phone cards. The Nozomi Restaurant, Great Wall and Mix Zone Café are neighbors, and the locally famous Omelet House is nearby. Add to that the Book Magician, Ray’s Desert Ink Tattoos, Lam’s Pharmacy, Faustina dental office and Antoine’s Salon of Beauty, along with a Farmers Insurance agency and a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop, and Biden’s outpost is nestled among some eclectic company.

AUGUSTINE AUCTION: The estate of the late Nevada Controller Kathy Augustine is having an auction June 23 at her home at 1400 Maria Elena Drive. Items range from home furnishings to artwork.

GIBBONS’ LEGISLATURE: Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons impressed even his political enemies with his ability to buckle down at the recently concluded Legislature. One of those Democratic critics put it this way: “He didn’t flinch. He stayed on message. He got his way. Somebody else might have folded. He didn’t do much, but he managed to make a victory.”

ON THE BOULEVARD: Florida resident Frank Rosenthal of Stardust infamy and “Casino” celebrity turns 78 on Tuesday. Who would have believed lucky Lefty would be the one to live happily ever after? … Sharp sports bettors respected Richard Klamian, who was a knowledgeable price-maker in the post-Rosenthal era at the Stardust Race and Sports Book. Klamian died May 29 at age 58. … Was a Rick Rizzolo relative really spotted inside the Crazy Horse Too recently, in violation of his federal sentencing agreement? Say it ain’t so.

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