NATCHEZ — An accident on the basketball court quickly revealed something life changing for 12-year-old Markia Sullivan and her family — an unexpected cancer diagnosis.

Markia could still walk after the October 2016 accident but kept complaining about her knee hurting, and then it started swelling, her father, Marcus Sullivan said. At first, Marcus said he thought maybe she had an ACL or MCL sprain in her knee, an injury athletes sometimes sustain.

“We went to a doctor and the only way they would refer us to a specialist is if we had an MRI,” Marcus said. “The MRI revealed a tumor on her leg.”

Marcus said the family learned in December the tumor was cancerous, Markia was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer, osteosarcoma.

“It was devastating,” Marcus said. “It was unbelievable. You sit and think it will never happen to you. Until it does and then you see everything differently.”

Markia’s mother, Tangela Sullivan, said the family did not want to know what stage she was in.

“When they told us they were confident they would be able to remove the cancer with treatment, that’s all we wanted to know,” Tangela said.

Each year, approximately 1,000 people are diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the U.S., statistics from the American Cancer Society indicate. Approximately 450 of the occurrences are in children and teens.

If a tumor is caught before the cancer spreads, the five-year survival rate range is 60 to 80 percent.

Marcus said the cancer possibly could spread and that she could lose her leg.

“We are trying to avoid that,” Marcus said.

Markia has been through five weeks of chemotherapy and will find out this week when the surgery to hopefully remove the tumor will be scheduled at Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson, Marcus said. After surgery, she will still have to have 12 more rounds of chemotherapy to ensure the cancer is removed, Tangela said.

“The doctors feel like it was discovered early,” Tangela said. “They have a good feeling for her.”

“The accident did kind of help out in the long run,” Marcus said.

On good days, though Markia needs assistance to get around, she is able to watch TV, play her Playstation video game and text her friends. Markia said she enjoys watching Spongebob because the show is funny, but she also loves to watch basketball.

Her favorite basketball team is the Golden State Warriors, and Steph Curry is her favorite player.

“I like the way he shoots,” she said.

Markia said she was also glad to have received a package from one professional athlete, Eric Berry. The Kansas City Chiefs safety went through cancer treatment in 2015 when an MRI revealed a mass on his chest.

“I was happy,” Markia said, smiling, when talking about the package.

Berry sent Markia a letter, autographed photographs, a Chief’s hat and a blender “so you can make smoothies in case your appetite was so-so.”

Markia said she has not been able to write Berry back yet, but Markia said she will and she wants to thank him.

On bad days, however. Marcus said Markia cannot get out of bed. Marcus said watching his daughter battle cancer is tough, but he and Tangela want to stay strong for Markia.

“We just talk to her, we don’t want her to look at it as a punishment,” Marcus said. “We tell her she was not picked out for a reason, this is just something that happens to people. A lot of people go through it, and she is not alone.”

Markia, a sixth grader at Robert Lewis Magnet School, said going through cancer has been difficult.

Markia said she would tell others diagnosed, “That it’s hard and you’ll get through it and everything is going to be OK.”

Tangela said the community has hosted benefits for Markia and Natchez has been great in helping the family with expenses. Tangela said insurance is not covering everything.

So far, expenses have been approximately $10,000, Tangela said. Marcus said by September, when doctors project treatments to conclude, out-of-pocket expenses will be approximately $40,000 to $55,000.

An account has been set up at United Mississippi Bank in the name of “Team Kia Fund.” The couple said they would appreciate any support.

Tangela and Marcus both said they have to be strong as a family as their daughter goes through this. Both have hope Markia will pull through.

“My faith in God and my belief she will make it through it gives me hope,” Tangela said. “She is so strong. She gives me hope each day in how she is dealing with it.

“I know she is going to be OK. She is just strong.”