Over a dozen children living in a wealthy southern California suburb have been diagnosed with rare cancers, their families say, prompting officials to investigate whether possible pesticide exposure could be a common link.
In a letter sent Thursday, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli requested an Environmental Protection Agency review after several parents told NBC Los Angeles that their children had been diagnosed with rare cancers, including synovial sarcoma and the even rarer Ewing sarcoma.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute recognize that unusual patterns of cancer and community concerns regarding potential environmental exposures should be evaluated through a systematic, science-based process,” the letter reads.
Several of the Orange County parents who spoke with NBC Los Angeles earlier this month said six children had been diagnosed with rare cancers, including Ewing sarcoma, which typically develops in bone or soft tissue and is diagnosed in about 200 to 250 children and teens in the U.S. each year, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Additional cases of synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer that affects soft tissues near joints and tendons, have also been reported. The disease affects about 1,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Megan Matteson told NBC Los Angeles that her son, Brody, was an active child who loved spending time outdoors before he began experiencing back pain shortly before his 15th birthday. Doctors later diagnosed him with Ewing sarcoma, which was found on his spine.
“The Ewing Sarcoma was on his spine. It was on L4,” Matteson said. “The hard part of having Ewing on your spine, you can’t do surgery … He fought from August of 2024 until July 2025.”
Brody died from the disease in March at age 17.
Another mother, Jessica Keetch, said her 18-year-old daughter, Haven, underwent a right foot amputation after being diagnosed with synovial sarcoma.
“I’ll always remember the day,” Keetch said about the amputation. “I’ll cry thinking about it because it’s the worst day for a parent you can ever have.”
Federal officials have not determined whether the cases share a common cause, but families say they hope the investigation will provide answers about what may be behind the cluster of rare childhood cancers.
While no direct link has been confirmed between pesticides and cancer, Ladera Ranch families are urging the community to explore safer, nontoxic alternatives and investigate whether environmental factors may have contributed to the diagnoses.
Parents have specifically called on the community’s homeowners association, the Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corp., to replace traditional pesticides, prompting the association to form a committee to review its landscaping practices and address residents’ concerns, according to NBC Los Angeles.
“I think people need to listen and wake up and realize something is happening to our children,” Keetch told the outlet. “This is not random.”
The Independent has contacted Essayli and the Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corp. for comment.
