Football practice was leaving a teen athlete out of breath. A rare cancer was to blame.

By Kerry Breen News Editor Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use. Read Full Bio May 2, 2026 / 8:00 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Cameron Rider had always been an athlete and loved hockey and baseball. The summer before his junior year of high school, he decided to join the football team. Pre-season practices in August left him fatigued and out of breath, but Rider, 16 at the time, just thought he was getting used to the new sport. As the weeks passed, his symptoms escalated. When his tiredness turned into a 105 degree fever and body aches, his parents took him to a local emergency room. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. Antibiotics helped, but soon his symptoms returned. He spent the next few months repeating the same cycle. In November, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. Steroids and antibiotics couldn't keep the illness at bay. Finally, doctors recommended he see a specialist. Rider was hopeful he might get some answers. "What they