The Orange County neighborhood of Ladera Ranch, a community of about 26,000 people, is currently hosting a very unwanted kind of gathering: a cluster of Ewing sarcoma cases in children. Six kids have been diagnosed with this exceptionally rare bone and soft-tissue cancer, which typically targets young folks, and residents are not taking it lying down.

At a community meeting this week, hundreds of locals voiced concerns, with some mentioning additional cancer cases in adults and pets. While the American Cancer Society politely notes that there are no known lifestyle-related or environmental causes of Ewing sarcoma, many residents suspect the culprit is herbicides and pesticides being sprayed around the neighborhood. "We’re very concerned about pesticides that are being sprayed all around the community," said resident Liesl Heizt. "There’s so many times that I walk around and they’re spraying, and I ask what they’re spraying and they’re not telling us."

Brian Dalton shared the heartbreaking story of his daughter Lily, who died earlier this year from the same cancer. "I don’t want another mother holding her child’s hand through endless treatments, praying for one more birthday, planning a funeral instead of a future," he said. County supervisor Katrina Foley has urged the state to expedite a review, asking for "timely, transparent updates." Meanwhile, Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli has called on the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate, noting that the CDC and National Cancer Institute recommend a systematic, science-based process for such clusters. Because when six kids get a rare cancer, you don't just shrug and say "must be Tuesday."