My Special Aflac Duck® Lands in the Big Apple
Originally published on Aflac Newsroom
In September — honoring Childhood Cancer and Sickle Cell Awareness Month — My Special Aflac Duck® found its way to New York City, delivering smiles to pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx.
In partnership with Sunrise Day Camp, Aflac also gave these children and their families a day of fun activities, including arts and crafts — where they created beaded bracelets and birth certificates for their new cuddly companions — coloring pages, and of course, duck-themed snacks.
My Special Aflac Duck is a social robot powered by innovative technology that helps kids prepare for medical procedures, communicate their feelings, practice distraction techniques and more. A recent three-year study revealed that both parents and caregivers reported a reduction in distress, nausea, pain and treatment — and procedural anxiety — for their children who received My Special Aflac Duck, compared to those in the study who had not yet received a duck.
Since the first duck delivery in 2018, Aflac has placed more than 32,000 My Special Aflac Ducks in the hands of pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients ages 3 and up free of charge, providing comfort and joy during their treatment journeys. The My Special Aflac Duck program is a hallmark of Aflac's more than $184 million given toward pediatric cancer and blood disorder research and programs, including support of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
Health care providers, support organizations and families can order My Special Aflac Duck free of charge for children 3 years or older who have been diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease at MySpecialAflacDuck.com.
