Families in Ladera Ranch say they want answers as to why several children in their one community have all been diagnosed with the same rare cancer.
Megan Matteson says her son Brody was just 17 years old when he passed away from Ewing sarcoma.
“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.”
Just before his 15th birthday, Megan Matteson said Brody began complaining about back pain. Then, doctors gave the family a devastating diagnosis.
“The Ewing Sarcoma was on his spine. It was on L4,” she 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 lost his fight in March.
An undated image of Brody.
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. About 200 to 240 children and teens are diagnosed every year in the nation, according to the American Cancer Society.
“To have three families that just contacted me right away after Brody was diagnosed was helpful but scary at the same time,” she said.
Megan Matteson and other families in Ladera Ranch don’t know what is causing the cancer, but they’d like to know more about the type and amount of pesticides being used in their community.
While there is some research suggesting a link between pesticides and Ewing sarcoma, there is so far no direct correlation.
“We cannot say that this is what’s causing it,” attorney Jackie 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.”
Families showed up to a neighborhood meeting on Wednesday evening to encourage their homeowners association to find out what they say should be a safer alternative.
Parents said they felt the homeowners association in Ladera Ranch listened to them and came up with an action plan. Tracey Leong reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
“We felt like we got some positive feedback that they’re going to be willing to work with us,” Dustin Matteson, Brody’s father, said after the meeting. “Maybe put together an advisory board with some local citizens to work along with the landscaping board to work towards a more integrated pest management program, meaning organic and getting away from synthetic pesticides that we know aren’t great for us.”
Orange County health officials say an initial review of the cancer data did not find a particular pattern of cancer cases but that they do plan on doing another review of the data in the coming weeks because of the continued concerns.
“Our goal as Brody’s parents, and I know what Brody would want. Brody would want us to fight for the other kids,” Megan Matteson said.
NBCLA reached out via phone and email to the general manager of the Ladera Ranch HOA but has not received a response by the time of publication.