By: Karenlyn Barone
"I'm sorry to inform - Baby Isabelle passed away ... but, the family still wants the blood drive to go on in her memory."
Isabelle's grandfather Irwin Werbowsky told the Herald that; "There are a whole bunch of little kids who need that blood. And it's a wonderful way to remember my granddaughter, Isabelle."
Irwin and his daughter Gwen, who is Isabelle's mother, work for UBS Financial Services in Uniondale. Coincidentally, they work with Lynbrook resident Dowd, who is a compliance manager with the firm. He is also a past recipient of the Lynbrook Man of the Year Award and a blood drive organizer. Since hearing of Isabelle's fight against the brain tumor and related cancers, Dowd has been instrumental in organizing blood drives to aid her in her struggle to survive.
This past January, with the total support of his branch administrators Dowd held a blood drive at his office. More than 100 pints of blood were collected and several people signed up for the bone marrow registry, as well. New York Met legend Ed Kranepool was on hand to show his support and sign autographs for the crowd of people who donated blood to benefit Isabelle.
By that time, Isabelle had already spent untold days and weeks in New York University Medical Center in Manhattan receiving chemotherapy and the necessary follow-up blood transfusions. Parents Gwen and Keith were tireless in their devotion to Isabelle and brave in their commitment to hope for a cure for their daughter. Grandfather Irwin and his wife Eleanor, who were swept up in the momentum of the first blood drive to benefit their grandchild and the magnitude of its importance, vowed to be there on Labor Day, for the second Dowd-driven donation event.
In the past, Dowd's Labor Day blood drive was held in memory of Caitlin Petrou, a Lynbrook student who died of leukemia three days before the blood drive was held. Matthew Toy, 12, another Lynbrook youngster was the focus of the blood drive last year, as the community celebrated his remission from leukemia. And, this year, the pints of platelets and blood would be donated in Isabelle's name, in honor of her continuing fight.
Labor Day is historically one of the worst weekends of the year because blood supply plummets to a dangerous low and that's why Dowd schedules it accordingly.
"We want Kevin to continue to show Isabelle's picture and hopefully it will inspire people to donate blood," said Irwin. "It's the giving of the blood that is important and it was an important part of Isabelle's life for the past ten months."
Isabelle was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer last fall and had undergone surgery, chemotherapy and numerous blood and platelet transfusions.
"She had a tremendous spirit," said Eleanor.
Services were held at Gutterman's Funeral Home in Woodbury on Monday and she was buried in New Montefiore Cemetery in West Babylon.
"Isabelle, even in her death, will continue to have a presence through the blood drives that will continue in her memory," said Dowd.
The Labor Day blood drive will be held on Saturday, Aug. 28 and Sunday, Aug. 29, from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus, St. Mary's Council, 78 Hempstead Avenue, Lynbrook. Call (516) 745-1888 for more information. The family also suggests that contributions may be made to Chai Lifeline, 151 W. 30th Street. New York, N.Y. 10001, in Isabelle's memory.
