Residents of Ladera Ranch, California, are calling for a deeper investigation after several children were diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, prompting renewed questions about the community's use of pesticides and…

Residents of Ladera Ranch, 🌴California, are calling for a deeper investigation after several 👧Children were diagnosed with a rare form of 🎗️Cancer, prompting renewed questions about the community's use of pesticides and herbicides.

According to the New York Post, the Orange County community has drawn attention after at least six local 👧Children were diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare 🎗️Cancer affecting the bones and soft tissue.

The disease impacts only about 200 to 240 👧Children across the United States each year.

Some residents now believe the number of 🎗️Cancer cases may be much higher than initially reported.

Attorney and Ladera Ranch resident Jackie French said community members have been raising concerns about pesticide use for years.

She told The 🌴California Post that previous efforts dating back to 2016 lost momentum as families moved away without receiving answers.

French said she became involved after learning that 17-year-old Brody Matteson had been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. Matteson died in March.

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After his death, his mother, Megan Matteson, asked neighbors in a local Facebook group whether anyone else had experienced 🎗️Cancer in their households.

French said the post received 62 responses, including reports of multiple 🎗️Cancer diagnoses within some neighborhoods and accounts of pets developing 🎗️Cancer.

Those reports have not been independently verified and do not establish the existence of a 🎗️Cancer cluster.

French has spent the past two months reviewing public records and landscaping practices throughout the community. She said records indicate that 17 different pesticides and herbicides were applied during June, with treatments occurring almost daily.

"We don't know for sure what is causing this, and we don't know if it's an official 🎗️Cancer cluster yet," French said. "We just know it looks highly unusual to have this much 🎗️Cancer, specifically rare forms of it, in our community."

Residents have also voiced concerns about rodent control, saying poison pellets are routinely spread throughout the area and questioning whether pets may be exposed to harmful chemicals.

Former resident Karan Bell said she moved away in 2019 after years of unsuccessfully trying to persuade community leaders to address pesticide use.

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She said she frequently saw crews spraying near schools and experienced headaches following applications.

The Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation expressed sympathy for affected families but said there is currently no evidence linking its landscaping practices to the reported illnesses.

The organization said it follows an Integrated Pest Management program designed to reduce synthetic pesticide use while emphasizing prevention and, where practical, organic fertilizers.

The group also announced plans to establish an advisory committee composed of homeowners, board members, staff, and landscaping professionals to review current practices.

According to French, the 🌴California🎗️Cancer Registry has begun reviewing the reported cases, while the Orange County Health Care Agency has reportedly reopened its review after renewed requests from residents.

Environmental health expert Bruce Blumberg of UC Irvine said the concerns deserve careful consideration, even though no direct causal connection between pesticide use and the reported 🎗️Cancer cases has been established.

He added that many 🌴California communities have successfully transitioned to organics-first landscaping programs and argued that safer alternatives should be considered whenever possible.