Our daughter was severely injured by a boy playing girls’ high school volleyball

One high school volleyball game on September 1, 2022 changed our family’s lives forever. My daughter, Payton, was hit in the head and neck by a spike from a transgender man on the opposing team, leaving her unconscious and lying in a fencing position on the gym floor. Later we found out that she had suffered a traumatic brain injury, leaving her partially paralyzed on the right side of her body and unable to speak or see clearly.

In hindsight, I should never have let her play in that game. We knew a biologically male player would be competing against Payton’s team and, like most parents, we disagreed with school officials’ decision to allow him to compete against young women. But what we didn’t understand then was just what a big risk the presence of males on that field represented the safety of our daughter.

Now we know.

NCAA PREZ SUGGESTS ATHLETES USE OTHER FACILITIES IF THEY ARE UNCOMFORTABLE SHARING WITH TRANS PLAYERS

The weeks and months that followed Payton’s injury are a blur of emotions. I became a full-time carer for my then 17-year-old son, who had always been capable and independent. Seemingly overnight, Payton began to struggle with everything. She suffered from debilitating pain in her head and neck, was unable to drive and had to be assisted in school while she worked to relearn basic cognitive processes.

Payton McNabb was seriously injured when a man who identified as transgender hit her in the head and neck with a volleyball. Now she speaks.

When she had moments of clarity, the fear in her eyes at what was happening to her mind and body was too much. She went from excelling at everything she ever did to struggling to brush her own hair. All of her hopes and dreams, all of her hard work in the classroom and on sports teams, all of the sacrifices she made to pursue her dream of playing softball after high school – it was all gone.

A few months after the injury, Payton began to fall into a deep depression. With your doctor’s permission, we encouraged her to return to sports — slowly and very carefully. She rejoined the school’s basketball team, and while it took her weeks to adjust to her new physical limitations, the fight was just what Payton needed. She fell a lot, played with great physical pain, and was sometimes visibly confused. There were a lot of tears and frustration, but she was determined not to take anything away from her.

Payton was also able to return to softball — her favorite sport and one she hoped to play in college. Her injury ended any chance she could play at the collegiate level, but Payton wasn’t willing to give it up entirely.

The season got off to a slow start. Her leg would shake as she sat at the plate as the team’s catcher, and I would sit behind her and watch tears stream down her face in pain. She could no longer steal bases because her bad leg would buckle under her, and she could only slide with her gloves in her hands so she would have something to focus on.

At a certain point, Payton realized she couldn’t stay silent about the trauma she experienced. And her father and I realized that we couldn’t either.

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As a parent, all I ever wanted to do was protect my children. Government and the education system also have a responsibility to help protect our children, which is why we supported Payton when she advocated for the Women’s Sports Equity Act before the North Carolina General Assembly. Because of Payton’s testimony, North Carolina lawmakers voted to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto and ban biological male players from competing on and against women’s sports teams.

But there is still much work to be done. At least 24 states still allow biological males to compete on women’s sports teams despite the vast physical advantages that men possess. These policies threaten the safety and well-being of our girls.

Payton McNabb’s parents, Pamela and Daniel, have decided to speak out about her injury.

If these states refuse to act and protect young women from the suffering that Payton endured, parents must stand up for them. To my fellow moms and dads: don’t let my family’s experience become yours. Get your child out of the game. Talk to your child’s coaches. Demand better from your child’s school and from your state representatives.

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Payton has made a lot of progress and I’m grateful for that. The damage to her neck is still significant, and at her last check-up, the doctor discovered that her pituitary gland was not working. He will have lifelong complications from this avoidable injury.

But I celebrate and support what Payton has become. She is fierce, tough as nails, quick and a little sharper on the tongue. If there’s one good thing about her injury, it’s that there’s no stopping her anymore. Our once quiet and shy young lady has found her voice.