Basketball player at Fontbonne Academy shares her struggles with mental health to help others
A senior basketball player at Fontbonne Academy in Milton, Massachusetts is known for her dedication to spreading kindness and helping others amid her own personal struggles off the court.
Jess Laflamme is viewed as the heart and soul of her high school basketball team, someone who can play every position on the court.
Always plays with a smile
"Depends on the day, depends on our opponent," said Laflamme. "Like yesterday, I got thrown in as a point guard, sometimes I'm the center.
The one constant is how Laflamme always plays with a smile.
"She's like the Energizer Bunny, she's so friendly," said Fontbonne athletic director Anna DeVitto.
"She always has a smile on her face, always bringing everyone up when they're down," said Fontbonne senior Maggie Bedard.
WBZ-TV first met Laflamme six years ago, when she was known for spreading kindness to her middle school classmates.
"I put a sticky note writing two nice things about everyone in the middle school in their lockers," Laflamme told WBZ-TV at the time.
The gesture stuck with some of her fellow seniors.
"Middle school's a rough time for a lot of people, especially middle school girls," said Fontbonne senior Gillian Jolley. "And I think a lot of people were really touched by it."
Struggles with anxiety and depression
When she got to high school, Laflamme faced an internal struggle that brought her to a dark place.
"I think it was the beginning of my sophomore year," said Laflamme. "I really started struggling with anxiety and depression. There were times in my life when I wanted to take my own life."
Laflamme said it was thought of others that got her through.
"I was helping one of my coaches coach a fifth grade basketball team and what I kept thinking over and over to myself was what would they tell the fifth-graders if I didn't show up to practice one day?" said Laflamme.
Among those Laflamme turned to was DeVitto.
"Listening to really, like, a child sharing their experience and hearing their story and how much they've struggled, it's hard not to get emotional," said DeVitto.
It was an experience Laflamme felt was worth sharing.
"Knowing that feeling, I never wanted anyone else to feel like that," said Laflamme.
Sharing her story for suicide prevention
For her senior class social justice project, Laflamme chose suicide prevention as her topic to take on. She was willing to share what she went through.
"Sitting down and reading the statistics, reading the stuff that I've personally experienced, it's really hard," said Laflamme. "But I know what I'm doing is going to help so many people. It's stuff that needs to be shared."
As part of her project, Laflamme is working to organize a mental health day on campus.
"Having someone else understand mental health, the stigma surrounding it, it needs to be broken, that barrier," said Bedard. "It's just awesome to have my own friend who sees that."
Laflamme has also turned the page in her own life and is looking ahead to her next chapter. She's committed to play basketball at Curry College in the fall.
"I want to be happy and I want to make the world a better place overall," said Laflamme.
