OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:39 PM – Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Families in a Southern California community are being urged to come forward as attorneys launch an investigation into an alarming number of rare childhood cancer cases.
Bond Legal Injury Lawyers said it is confidentially gathering information from those whose children lived in or regularly visited Ladera Ranch in Orange County and were diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma or other childhood cancers.
The probe comes after at least six children connected to the master-planned community have been diagnosed since 2013, according to affected families. The rare bone and soft tissue cancer affects only about 200 to 240 children and teens nationwide each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
“The concentration of cases in a single community is deeply troubling, especially to those who live there,” said Candice Bond, managing partner of Bond Legal. “Families deserve transparency about what their children may have been exposed to,” Bond added. “When rare cancers appear in clusters, every environmental factor — no matter how routine it may seem — must be examined carefully.”
The law firm said it is seeking information from parents whose children lived in or frequently visited Ladera Ranch, attended local schools, churches, parks, camps or sports facilities, and were diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, leukemia, lymphoma or another rare childhood cancer.
It is also asking families to share information about possible exposure to pesticides, herbicides, contaminated soil or water, construction materials or other environmental hazards. Bond Legal stressed that multiple cancer diagnoses alone do not establish that a particular exposure caused the illnesses and said any legal claims would require reliable scientific, medical and factual evidence.
One family’s tragedy has become the face of the community’s campaign for answers. Brody Matteson was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in August 2024 at age 17. After undergoing treatment, he later developed acute myeloid leukemia as a complication of that treatment and died in March.
“He was an outdoor kid. There was a time to be outside, that was Brody,” Megan Matteson told NBC Los Angeles. “He was out on his bike, out at the park. They were building bike jumps. He was out at all the parks around Ladera.”
After her son died, Megan Matteson said she began hearing from other families in Ladera Ranch — a city of about 20,000 to 30,000 people — where she says five other children have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma.
“To have three families that just contacted me right away after Brody was diagnosed was helpful but scary at the same time,” she said. “Our goal as Brody’s parents, and I know what Brody would want. Brody would want us to fight for the other kids.”
Residents have spent months raising concerns after at least six local children were diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. Attorney and Ladera Ranch resident Jackie French previously told reporters that records appeared to show “numerous pesticide and herbicide applications” throughout the community, suggesting this may be the cause.
“We cannot say that this is what’s causing it,” French said. “We feel like there’s a larger number of cancer cases in Ladera than normal, and in looking at the pesticide use, it does seem like it’s more than normal in Ladera.”
Researchers have previously explored possible links between pesticide exposure and certain childhood cancers, including Ewing sarcoma, but no direct causal relationship has been established. Public health authorities have not identified a specific environmental cause.
“Several representatives from the California Cancer Registry, the UCI Cancer Center, and the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office met after the County Health Officer initiated outreach in response to ongoing community concerns earlier this year,” the Orange County Health Care Agency told the Post in a statement. “The group agreed to conduct an updated review of cancer data. Findings from this analysis will be shared in upcoming weeks with the County Health Officer as soon as they are available.”
The California Department of Public Health said its California Cancer Registry evaluates possible cancer clusters by comparing the number of cases diagnosed in a specific community over a defined period with the number that would normally be expected in a similarly sized population based on statewide cancer rates, age groups and time periods.
“An apparent increase in a small area does not, by itself, establish that a cluster exists or that a common cause is present,” the department said.
The Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation (LARMAC) extends its heartfelt compassion to the families who have been affected by these devastating illnesses.
“LARMAC takes these concerns seriously. We are aware that public health agencies are reviewing available information, and we will continue to cooperate with those efforts and follow guidance provided by the appropriate health and regulatory authorities,” the association said.
Environmental health expert Bruce Blumberg previously told reporters that communities should minimize pesticide use whenever possible.
“If I were a parent living in that area, I would be strongly advocating for elimination of pesticide use,” Blumberg said. “In my opinion, it is unreasonable to risk people’s health for the cosmetic elimination of weeds and unwanted vegetation.”
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