Seeking Out Sunshine

Red Lodge girl uses rubber duckies to boost emotional health in kids

There’s a duck for everyone.

Last fall, eighth-grader Rylee Lammiman handed out small rubber ducks to her classmates at Roosevelt Middle School in Red Lodge. Each duck had its own style, and they came in every color of the rainbow. Some wore glitter. Others wore sunglasses. A few sported tiny brown cowboy hats.

“It’s a hard decision,” one sixth-grade boy said, picking up a colorful duck from the collection. “Maybe the clown, because that’s kind of who I am.” Then, his hand found a black duck painted up like a ninja, and he said, “Nope. This one is mine.”

Each duck doled out had a role. It was part of Seeking Out Sunshine, a small nonprofit that was started by 14-year-old Rylee and is dedicated to enhancing the mental health of middle schoolers in her community. Once a duck is adopted, she encourages her classmates to use them to find a sunnier outlook.

“It helps to have a little break, and we do that through duck dating where kids can win prizes for healthy behaviors,” Rylee says.

Seeking Out Sunshine, or SOS as Rylee calls it, provides the ducks and finds creative ways to take the ducks on a fun and playful date. It could be as simple as taking your duck on a walk, eating a healthy snack with your duck or creating a fun playlist and then jamming out with your duck. Rylee came up with 15 duck date suggestions, all of them aimed at fostering a healthy lifestyle.

The reason why Rylee started SOS stemmed from her own battles.

“I have my own struggles, and I wanted to help kids in middle school because I know kids in middle school have a tough time,” Rylee says.

Rylee has Dysautonomia. The disease affects the autotomic nervous system, which is responsible for many of the body’s day-to-day functions including digestion, circulation and heart function. Rylee was diagnosed at age 12 after dealing with a variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms for several years.

“It’s exhausting and takes a lot of effort to make it through the day,” Rylee says.

Constant nausea has her needing to eat frequent, small meals, and she will sometimes step out of class when she’s not feeling well. Vertigo keeps her from taking the stairs when they’re crowded. She deals with daily migraines, and due to joint hypermobility, she wears braces when playing sports or to help get through the day. There isn’t a cure, but Rylee has made major lifestyle changes to help manage her illness. She’s being treated by specialists at the Mayo Clinic.

“It’s really lonely,” Rylee says. “You feel like you’re by yourself all the time.”

The idea to start SOS came after Rylee and her parents had dinner out at a local restaurant where kids took turns winning colorful rubber ducks from a claw machine. Rylee and her mother, Allyson, brainstormed ways that those same ducks could make a difference for kids her age.

“We just want to add a little joy into their lives,” Allyson says.

Later that night, Rylee designed the SOS logo, and everything took off from there. Within a few months, she launched SOS at her middle school. Although SOS is just getting started, Jason Reimer, the principal at Roosevelt Middle School, is optimistic that it will catch on.

“Any time you have things that are student-led, they’re going to grab the attention of their peers more than just listening to another adult,” he says. “I love it when kids step up and take initiative like Rylee has.”

Last summer, Rylee did some fundraising to help purchase prizes and create T-shirts and stickers to support the mission. It’s her goal to expand SOS to other neighboring middle schools. She plans to run the program while she’s in high school.

For Rylee, it’s a gift to see fellow students upload photos and videos of their duck dates on social media or share them via email. Every photo equals an entry into the monthly SOS raffle. While the project is voluntary, almost every student in sixth through eighth grade handpicked a duck last October.

These days middle school students face a whole host of stressors. There’s a new school schedule and new expectations from parents and teachers. Their communication and social skills are put to the test, and they can often face peer pressure, bullying and isolation. All that can easily lead to anxiety and overwhelming feelings of sadness. Rylee hopes that by handing out one colorful little duck, it will provide a playful break, building confidence and a sense of community along the way.

“SOS has been an escape for me and something to put my mind on,” Rylee says. “I don’t know who gets more out of it, the kids or me.”

SEEKING OUT SUNSHINE

To follow SOS, search Seeking Out Sunshne, on Facebook or find them on Instagram at seekingoutsunshinerms. If you’d like to send a message of encouragement or make a donation, you can email Rylee Lammiman at seekingoutsunshinesos@gmail.com.