Kayla Cotten, the WNBA fan who said she fell over a railing at Colonial Life Arena on May 11, is grateful that her injuries were not more severe.
As reported by NBC affiliate WIS in Columbia, S.C., where the incident took place, Cotten, 27, said she fell from her wheelchair and onto concrete while trying to get a better glimpse of the game action. She was released from the hospital on Wednesday after suffering minor injuries, but is still very sore.
The trip from Virginia to the home of University of South Carolina men's and women's basketball was a "bucket list" item for Cotten, who saw the Las Vegas Aces play a preseason game against the Puerto Rican National Team the night of her incident.
Cotten believes that Colonial Life staff could have handled the situation differently.
Related: Wheelchair-Using Fan Hospitalized After 10-Foot Fall at Arena During WNBA Exhibition
“Dealing with disabilities and stuff, you have to deal with a lot in arenas, and sometimes you’re tossed aside and not really considered, it’s like you’re that one fan,” Cotten said. “For this situation, even though the Colonial Life Arena didn’t handle it, the arena itself, the team, the fans, everyone around it has just stepped up and just showered me in love.”
Though Cotten has not heard from the University of South Carolina, which owns the arena, she is feeling the love from the Gamecocks.
Dawn Staley and USC guard Raven Johnson have both offered messages of support on social media.
Cotten was wearing a Johnson jersey at the game, which had to be cut off her once she got the hospital.c Johnson has since offered to replace the jersey, Cotten said.
“I genuinely don’t know if I’ve ever felt more supported in a hospital stay than this past few days, and I’ve had a lot of hospital stays,” Cotten said, as reported by WIS.
Cotten was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease as a teenager, and spent much of her adolescence in and out of hospitals. She uses a wheelchair because walking for long periods can be difficult.
According to WIS's Nick Neville, Cotten said her best friend “pulled my wheelchair back because she said the railing is so low,: but she got excited at one point, sat up from her wheelchair, leaned forward, and momentum propelled her over the railing, she said.
Cotten said doctors have told her it is remarkable she did not have any internal bleeding or broken bones from the fall.
“There’s no medical explanation because I have fallen before on way smaller — tripped over, fallen and hurt myself way worse,” she said, as reported by WIS.
“People who have disabilities want to go out and want to enjoy games and want to have fun,” Cotten said. “A lot of times, it takes 5-10 minutes to help us get to where we are. A lot of times, it doesn’t take that much effort, it just takes a little extra effort. And my thing to other people if you are disabled, if you deal with that, you are not a burden to people. You deserve to get to have the same opportunities.”
Cotten said she hopes that some changes are made at Colonial Life to make it more accessible for people with disabilities, and to ensure that this does not happen to anyone else. One suggestion she proposed is plexiglass in areas where there is disability-seating.
A spokesperson for USC said in a statement cited by WIS, “We value the safety of our guests at all events in our venues and our staff takes precautions and prepares for a safe experience for visitors attending events at our facilities.”
