On January 10, 2026, Lilly Dalton shared her final post on Instagram.
“I can’t believe I’m making this post, but today I entered hospice care,” she wrote.
At just 23, Lilly, who was from California, had always been a high achiever, graduating as valedictorian and earning a degree in history. She was, or rather, should have been, starting her professional life.
However, she had spent the last year and a half undergoing rigorous cancer treatments, and now she faced liver failure.
“Doctors aren’t sure how much longer I have left, but I’m finding the little joys in every single one of my days,” she remarked under a photo of herself smiling, with her brown hair gone, in front of the Hollywood sign.
Lilly had rushed to the emergency room with stomach pain just three days after her university graduation in 2024. Initially diagnosed with gastritis, she returned the following day and, following some scans, a tumor was discovered on her liver, as her father recounted.
It took several months for the full devastating diagnosis to emerge: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor, which shares genetic traits with Ewing sarcoma.
Her family learned that the cancer was incredibly rare.
Lilly underwent numerous rounds of what her father, Brian Dalton, referred to as “Red Devil chemo” — a treatment known for its striking color and severe side effects — alongside two types of radiation and major surgery.
Despite the overwhelming odds, she maintained a cheerful demeanor. “All the nurses loved her there. She was like a celebrity,” her father reminisced. “She was always the best dressed. Her pajamas game was the best.”
“My biggest regret is that I always thought she was going to make it,” said Brian.
Lilly passed away on January 25, leaving her father mourning her loss while also feeling a strong urge to raise awareness about the cancer that claimed her life.
Months later, upon hearing that multiple children in a nearby Orange County community, Ladera Ranch, had been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, alarms went off for Brian.
“There’s absolutely no way that this is a coincidence,” he thought to himself.
Ewing sarcoma is quite rare, with only about 200 children and teens diagnosed yearly in the United States, making up just 1% of all childhood cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. Typically, it originates in bones or nearby soft tissues and most frequently affects adolescents and young adults.
Even though little is known about this cancer, it was, inexplicably, becoming more common in Ladera Ranch this spring, igniting anxiety among the residents.
Families in the suburb had begun to share experiences and record Ewing sarcoma cases linked to their community via Facebook and through conversations. Residents noted seven cases from 2007 to 2024, with at least one being reported every year since 2021, according to the Ladera Health Watch group. Unfortunately, due to privacy laws, CNN could not verify these numbers independently.
A pressing question began to loom: How could so many children from the same area develop such a rare cancer?
Ladera Ranch is often touted as a perfect place to raise a family, embodying an ideal childhood vision, with soccer games, bikes left on sidewalks, and leisurely afternoons in neighborhood parks.
But suddenly, residents found themselves questioning those very spaces.
Dustin Matteson, whose 16-year-old son, Brody, was a young athlete often found on the playing fields of Ladera Ranch, felt those questions keenly. His son thrived on sports, cycling between football, rugby, baseball, basketball, and soccer.
Brody was known for his toughness on the football field. His father, a former football player, learned just how resilient his son truly was through a grueling 19-month battle with Ewing sarcoma.
Even as the cancer advanced, Brody remained focused on the future and cared more for others than himself. “He said, ‘I’m happy it was me and not my brother and sister,’” Dustin recalled, voice strained with emotion.
“I always say that football doesn’t build character. It reveals it,” he continued. “Brody’s battle with cancer was similar; it showed who he really was.”
Brody passed away in March at the age of 17. For many in the community, his death marked a shift from grief to a search for answers.
Though his family had since relocated, Brian Dalton returned in July to join Dustin and other parents facing similar tragedies. They collectively demanded answers at a town hall meeting in Ladera Ranch attended by government representatives and health officials.
“I don’t want another father standing where I stand today,” Brian urged those present. “Please don’t let Lilly’s story end with her. Let it become the reason we demand answers.”
As residents grapple with these unsettling revelations, questions about the environment abound — everything from water quality to pesticide usage and even abandoned oil wells lurking below the community.
Concerns about Ewing sarcoma have taken root deeply within Ladera Ranch, where anxiety has been mounting among families. Why are so many children developing this rare cancer? Are environmental factors at play? Residents feel compelled to get to the bottom of it.
The California Department of Public Health is now investigating whether an unusual number of cancer cases indeed exists in Ladera Ranch, with results expected this fall. However, even if the review finds abnormalities, it won’t confirm an environmental cause. For now, state officials have not identified any significant dangers in the area.
As the questions continued to arise, the community homeowners’ association and the school district acted: pausing the use of certain pesticides in high-traffic areas while assessments took place.
“If there is any chance that environmental exposures, including pesticides or anything else, might be contributing, then those questions deserve a full, transparent investigation,” Brian stated earnestly.
Residents are part of a national movement that is increasingly skeptical of pesticides and other chemicals. They are hesitant to wait for proof before taking actions to mitigate possible harmful exposures.
The California Department of Public Health has explicitly stated that it is uncertain if pesticides or other chemicals present a risk in Ladera Ranch, but since pesticides have been a major concern among residents, the state’s assessment is looking specifically at any potential links to cancer patterns.
In another local fight, Creek Team OC, a grassroots organization, had already been campaigning against herbicide spraying in local waterways, claiming it had damaging effects on creek ecosystems. After widespread concerns, authorities halted herbicide spraying countywide while evaluating safe methods for vegetation removal.
On an August afternoon, Brent Linas, founder of Creek Team OC, observed volunteers gathering samples for analysis at a creek. “There was so much herbicide running into this creek, making it impossible for anything to thrive here, and nobody really questioned it,” Linas remarked, but CNN could not verify those assertions independently.
It wasn’t until he began publicly naming local officials on his Instagram and demanding responses that tangible progress began to show, Linas reported.
When Megan Matteson, mourning her son Brody’s recent passing, attended a meeting of the Creek Team seeking answers, she came armed with details on cancer diagnoses in her community, eager to work with those dedicated to unearthing the truth.
Pesticides quickly became a focal point among residents seeking answers, igniting fervent discussions in meetings and online.
The homeowner’s association, aware of the rising concerns beginning in May, paused some synthetic landscape maintenance products. At a September 9 meeting, the board further approved reduced synthetic pesticide use across their landscapes.
But first, scientists must determine whether the number of cancer cases is indeed unusual compared to Ladera Ranch’s population size. The California Department of Public Health indicated that “fewer than 11 cases” of Ewing sarcoma were documented in Ladera Ranch from 1999 to 2023, but they could not release a more precise figure because of confidentiality laws.
Experts say, though, that for a community of this size, experiencing a case of Ewing sarcoma every year — or even every few years — would be considered an anomaly.
Looking ahead, Wiemels hopes to conduct an statewide analysis to better understand any unusual occurrences in Ladera Ranch.
However, he warns that even if it’s found that cancer rates are higher than expected, a definitive cause may remain elusive.
Residents have reached out to Wiemels expressing their concerns, but establishing that a certain environmental exposure led to a rare cancer is notoriously complex.
Wiemels, for his part, is skeptical about hastily making connections to pesticides.
“I wouldn’t assign blame to pesticides simply because they haven’t been established as a strong risk factor in previous studies on Ewing sarcoma,” he shared. “If that were the case, we would likely see similar issues in other communities with comparable pesticide usage.”
Evidence tying any environmental chemicals to Ewing sarcoma remains scant, and coincidence could also explain the seemingly clustered cases. “It’s crucial to recognize that even if pesticide exposure increased the risk of Ewing sarcoma significantly, that alone may not be enough to create a cluster effect.”
Researchers have previously pointed to a case in Fallon, Nevada, where a cluster of childhood leukemia cases was investigated; while a potential infectious connection was suggested, no concrete cause was identified despite extensive research.
Megan Latshaw, a public health professor, considers factors like air quality, drinking water, and even the materials contained in toys and buildings, stressing the multifactorial nature of cancer concerns.
“Cancer rarely originates from a single cause. Carcinogen exposure could act as a ‘1-2 punch’ for individuals already predisposed genetically,” she noted.
Latshaw emphasized that since cancer development can take years, unraveling these complexities poses significant challenges to isolating a single factor or causative agent.
Though researchers know the gene changes leading to Ewing tumors, they still lack clarity on what triggers those changes.
Unlike many adult cancers linked to lifestyle factors, childhood cancers generally appear to have fewer known risk factors.
Uncertainty, though, does not mean inaction. Public health officials often adopt a precautionary approach to reduce potential dangers when it’s practical, even in the absence of conclusive evidence.
“It can’t hurt, right?” Latshaw says. “Pesticides are toxic by nature; therefore, minimizing exposure is generally advisable, whether or not they are indeed responsible for any unusual cancer patterns.”
With anxiety mounting, a grassroots effort started urging for public records related to potential cancer causes within the community.
Inquiries about pesticides and landscaping protocols emerged, especially regarding concerns surrounding an abandoned oil well reportedly not sealed correctly beneath a sidewalk.
The group sent letters to state authorities requesting a review of the well’s integrity. An inspection revealed no leaks or emissions, according to a state conservation department spokesperson.
Questions concerning the area’s water quality prompted local utility officials to respond as well, asserting through rigorous testing that the drinking water met or surpassed state regulations and professing no link to cancer issues.
The urgency felt by residents to act was palpable as they grappled with uncertainty over potential future diagnoses.
“We can’t wait. We can’t afford to wait for a governmental response to figure out what’s going on. We have to take things into our own hands,” French said, echoing a shared feeling among parents.
Piazza, a public health researcher and Ladera Ranch resident, stepped in to gather a team comprising chemists, geographical experts, public health specialists, and cancer epidemiologists to probe into residents’ queries.
Recently, they collected soil and water samples from the neighborhood for analysis regarding heavy metal contamination.
The goal? To determine whether anything out of the ordinary might exist.
Meanwhile, the Department of Pesticide Regulation and Orange County Agricultural Commissioner are reviewing local pesticide applications for possible violations.
Initially, the community focused on obtaining records about pesticide spraying details, but pre-emptive efforts faced hurdles before they were brought to public light.
Discovering the complexity of responsibilities for parks and common areas has been eye-opening for advocates. The environment often feels public, yet it falls under private homeowners’ associations, managed by community representatives.
French described it as a “black box,” underscoring the challenges residents encountered while trying to access necessary information.
The homeowners’ association has initiated a review process and created an advisory committee to explore alternatives to ongoing pesticide use while staying engaged with state and county officials.
But the government faces roadblocks; many records, including pesticide purchases and training details, are often inaccessible due to the private nature of HOA operations.
“The lack of oversight creates an accountability vacuum concerning private contractors, which can complicate the investigation process,” Foley pointed out.
With investigations ongoing, for the Daltons and Mattesons, whose family journeys have intertwined through shared pain, the battle now is to acquire pertinent information.
“Fighting cancer is difficult enough; it’s compounded by a struggle with obtaining relevant information,” Brian admitted.
As Brody’s family celebrates his memory this month, they remember their shared bond and the love he had for others. This celebration included getting matching tattoos, something he had wished to do had he survived.
In the fight to promote awareness for Ewing sarcoma, Brian reaffirms Lilly’s wishes: “She didn’t lose to cancer; it was a draw because it died with her.”
