Kids Korner
Keeping Children the Central Focus
Story by Lisa Stark
Lois Rappaport with her granddaughters Alexandra and BrianaAmidst a world of big machines, scary needles and tall people in white coats, there is a cheerful place brimming with bright colors and filled with toys, games and books. Located on the third floor of Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI), adjacent to the chemo infusion suite and the clinic, the Kids Korner is a space for visiting children to call their own.
NVCI understands that cancer affects the whole family. Patients often have many appointments and go through many different treatments. The experience can be especially difficult for children.
“Our philosophy is that children need to remain the central focus in the lives of their parents during cancer treatments,” says Heather Murren, NVCI Chief Executive Officer.
The Kids Korner came to fruition thanks to the vision and generosity of Felix Rappaport, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Luxor Hotel, his wife, Louise, brother Eric and two daughters, Alexandra and Briana. The family donated the Kids Korner in honor of Felix and Eric’s late mother Lois, who died of cancer eight years ago at the age of 76. A teacher for 35 years in the Philadelphia Public School System, Lois dedicated her life to children.
“She was a single mother, and we didn’t have a lot of money, but she exposed us to everything from museums to Shakespeare to baseball,” Rappaport remembers. “She had a unique ability to arouse intellectual curiosity in a child and make learning fun. We thought this was a fitting tribute to her memory.”
NVCI patient Cindy Dunn is excited about the Kids Korner for her herself and for her five-year-old son, Cayden. A single mother herself, Dunn comes straight from her first-grade teaching job to receive her chemotherapy, and she has no choice but to bring Cayden along with her. “The Kids Korner keeps him occupied and busy, which is less stress and worrying for me,” Dunn says. “A happy kid means a happy mom.”
The gift is not the first from the Rappaports, who have been steadfast supporters of NVCI from the very beginning. “They are real ambassadors for our mission,” says Shelley Gitomer, NVCI Vice President of Development. “They are community-minded, generous and philanthropic.”
Rappaport says these are the values instilled in him by Lois, a strong but humble woman who always put others’ needs ahead of her own. “She wouldn’t have asked or expected us to dedicate the Kids Korner in her name,” says Rappaport. “But she would say it was a wonderful honor.”
