World Champion Bareback Rider Dean Thompson Beginning Immediate Treatment After Diagnosed with Cancer
The 24 year-old bareback world champion was unexpectedly diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma after a rodeo injury led to further testing.
It was not supposed to be anything but a check up at the hospital after a bit of a rodeo wreck. World Champions are not the ones to get hung up typically, but it might be the biggest blessing in disguise for Dean Thompson. The trip to the hospital turned into something no one saw coming.
After getting hung up during a ride at Cave Creek, Thompson went in to get checked for a wrist injury and possible chest damage. What followed changed everything for the Utah cowboy. During routine scans after an injury of that extent, doctors noticed something concerning.
There was an unusual mass in Thompson's neck. Further testing and a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis as Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. For a 24 year old World Champion in the prime of his career, it’s the kind of news that stops everything.
It came without warning, no symptoms, no signs, and nothing that would have suggested something was wrong. In fact, Dean even said that early bloodwork came back normal. However, if not for that wreck, if not for that trip to the ER, this cancer might not have been found when it was.