Children at Lurie Children's Hospital
experience a heartwarming surprise: hi-tech robotic Aflac ducks
delivered with a day full of festive activities for pediatric
patients
COLUMBUS, Ga., Oct. 31,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, a leading provider of
supplemental health insurance products in the U.S. and a proud
supporter of families of children with cancer and blood disorders
such as sickle cell disease, yesterday delivered its acclaimed
My Special Aflac Ducks to children at Lurie Children's
Hospital in Chicago.
Since 2018, My Special Aflac Duck® has
brought comfort and joy to over 25,000 kids with cancer and sickle
cell disease.
The robotic duck utilizes medical play, realistic motions, and
emulates emotions to interact with and provide comfort to children
as they navigate treatment. My Special Aflac Duck was
created following extensive research spanning over 18 months,
involving more than 100 children, families and health care
professionals. Its primary aim is to assist children with the
emotional side of managing their treatments. It is part of Aflac's
commitment to children and families facing pediatric cancer and
blood disorders that extends over 28 years and $170 million.
"Aflac's mission has always been to be there when people need us
the most," said Ines Rodriguez
Gutzmer, senior vice president and chief communications
officer, Aflac Incorporated. "My Special Aflac Duck is a
vivid expression of that commitment, and it is heartwarming to
witness the smiles of Chicago's
children and families as they welcome a new friend to walk with
them on their journey. This remarkable program has brought comfort
and joy to over 25,000 children, and we are honored to provide this
award-winning resource, free of charge, to any child diagnosed with
pediatric cancer and sickle cell disease in the United States, Northern Ireland and Japan."
Children at Lurie Children's Hospital participated in a My
Special Aflac Duck demonstration and fun challenges before
meeting their very own robotic companion, which is theirs to keep.
Patients and their families were invited to stay for the duck
reveal party, along with various activities like creating a birth
certificate and beaded necklace for their duck, coloring and
more.
"The My Special Aflac Duck is an incredible tool that
helps provide comfort to our patients and allows them to express
themselves through the duck's emotion choices. The My Special
Aflac Duck also brings joy and much needed distraction to our
patients who are going through a particularly difficult time," said
T.J. Johnson, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Lurie
Children's Hospital. "This program is an amazing addition to our
child life programming, and Lurie Children's is very appreciative
of our partnership with Aflac."
Additional elements of My Special Aflac Duck include an
interactive mobile app that allows children to virtually bathe and
feed their duck, featuring customizable soundscapes that provide
soothing visuals and sounds, smart sensors that enable touch and
awareness of light and sounds, a calming heartbeat and breathing
vibrations. My Special Aflac Duck was named Best in Show at
CES in Las Vegas and was named to
Time Magazine's list of Best Inventions.
Health care providers, support organizations and families can
order My Special Aflac Duck for children three years or
older who have been diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease at
https://myduck.sproutel.com/family/request.
ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:
AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial
protection and peace of mind for more than 68 years to millions of
policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S.
and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is
the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance
products.1 In Japan,
Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and
medical insurance policies in force. The company takes pride in
being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well
as being included in 2023 in the World's Most Ethical Companies by
Ethisphere for 17 consecutive years, Fortune's World's Most Admired
Companies for 22 years and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for
the fourth consecutive year. In addition, the company became a
signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in
2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North
America Index (2022) for nine years. To find out how to get help
with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at
aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol. Investors may learn more about
Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social
responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under
"Sustainability."
About Lurie Children's
In the 2022-2023 U.S.
News & World Report rankings of the best children's
hospitals, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital
of Chicago continues to be the top
pediatric hospital in Illinois.
Lurie Children's provides superior pediatric care in a
state-of-the-art hospital that offers the latest benefits and
innovations in medical technology, family-friendly design and
research through the Stanley Manne Children's Research
Institute.
1 LIMRA 2022 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total
Market Report
Media contact for Aflac: Jon
Sullivan, 706-763-4813 or jsullivan@aflac.com
Media contact for Lurie Children's Hospital: Miranda Coello, 312-402-3618 or
mcoello@luriechildrens.org
Analyst and investor contact for Aflac: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667
or dyoung@aflac.com
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SOURCE Aflac