In The Pipeline:

“I feel like I have a neon sign over my head that’s constantly blinking, ‘Do something about Ewing’s sarcoma.’”

Sarie Morrell Sanchez is recounting the harrowing experiences surrounding the disease that robbed this world not just of her brother, Matt, but her daughter, Natalie, as well.

Last July, I wrote about Natalie Sanchez in this column:

“On the Quiksilver website recently, there was a moving entry. It read, in part: ‘Recently all of us at Quiksilver and Roxy had a very inspirational guest come and visit us: Natalie Sanchez! Natalie, who lives in Huntington Beach not far from Quiksilver headquarters, has Ewing’s sarcoma, a type of cancer usually found in children and young adults. Natalie has been going through chemo and radiation at CHOC since last fall.

“‘In April, part of her pelvic bone and some surrounding bones were removed. Natalie is learning to walk with walkers and crutches while she finishes up chemo this summer (she will have gone through 14 treatments of chemo when done). In the hopes of lifting Natalie’s spirits during these difficult times, our very own artists Corrine Mayer, Nick Yarger and Brett Bayley created amazing custom walkers to aid Natalie in her recovery.’”

The Quiksilver Foundation did wonderfully special work on behalf of this young lady from Huntington Beach. Things were looking up, too. The cancer seemed to be under control. But then in August, Natalie succumbed to complications due to an infection.

“It was horrific,” Sarie said. “The cancer had been cured. She had beaten all the odds. We thought she was going to be OK. After so much pain she’d endured, months and months of pain and discomfort, a medically induced coma — after all that, and it wasn’t even the cancer that took her from us.”

Sarie had been through this trauma years ago, when her brother suffered from this same extremely rare form of cancer. But the fact that both Natalie and Matt suffered from Ewing’s was random — not hereditary.

“The doctors told us we had a better chance of winning the lottery in all 50 states on the same date than having this strike our family twice,” Sarie said. “So when all was said and done, I just realized that I had to get involved — raising awareness about the medical complexities and the government about how things work, raising money, doing as much as I can do.”

And so the Huntington Beach mother of 6-year-old twins has immersed herself in fighting the fight on behalf of her brother and precious daughter. She is writing a book, has created a jewelry line to raise money and has also launched www.unlockthecure forewingssarcoma.com.

The mission statement explains that the Matt Morrell and Natalie Sanchez Pediatric Cancer Fund at the University of Iowa Foundation is used for a fellowship program, to support research involving genetic/hereditary studies of Ewing’s sarcoma, to aid in treatments and cures and to buy medical equipment, among other important causes.

Additionally on the site is a memory page for Natalie, Sarie’s blog and a tribute from Natalie’s grandfather, renowned author David Morrell, and more information about how to get involved.

Sarie never dreamed that this would become her lot in life. “But you do what you have to do,” she said, evenly. “When you see your child go through what we did, you just do what you have to do.”

Remember, high school writers: The first In The Pipeline writing competition is underway. In 600 words or less, write a nonfiction story that reveals something special about the city. Use photography and interviews and develop your story as your own column, because the winner will have their piece run in this column space — and more. Deadline is April 16.

CHRIS EPTING is the author of 17 books, including the new “Huntington Beach Then & Now.” You can write him at [email protected] .