September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and to encompass activities designed to bring attention to these diseases, Aflac delivered My Special Aflac Ducks to young patients with pediatric cancer and sickle cell disease at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
In collaboration with Aflac Incorporated, the leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S.,1 Nicklaus Children’s Hospital hosted a special duck delivery and unboxing event at the hospital’s main campus, where patients received a My Special Aflac Duck, free of charge, as part of Aflac's philanthropic commitment to support children with cancer and blood disorders.
My Special Aflac Duck is an award-winning social robot designed to be a cuddly companion that helps bring comfort and joyful moments to children with these conditions. In consultation with more than 100 children, families and medical professionals, Aflac, along with Sproutel, a patient-centered research and development company in Providence, Rhode Island, debuted My Special Aflac Duck in 2018 as part of its 27-year, $161-plus million commitment to childhood cancer and blood disorders, including sickle cell disease. Since then, Aflac has donated and distributed more than 17,000 My Special Aflac Ducks to more than 450 hospitals and disease-focused organizations.
“Aflac is a committed ally to children with cancer and blood disorders, and we continue to make it our mission to expand the reach of My Special Aflac Duck to help bring young patients and their families comfort and joy in the moments they need it most,” said Ines Rodriguez Gutzmer, vice president, Strategic Communications, Aflac Incorporated. “We are proud to provide this award-winning offering, free of charge, to Miami-based families facing these diseases and to see the smiles on their faces as they welcome a new friend on their journey.”
Features of My Special Aflac Duck include an interactive mobile app that allows children to virtually bathe and feed their duck, customizable soundscapes that provide soothing visuals and sounds, smart sensors that enable touch and awareness of light and sounds, and a calming heartbeat and breathing vibrations. To help children express themselves, the duck also comes with seven feelings emoji discs that, when tapped to a sensor on the duck's chest, prompt My Special Aflac Duck to emulate each emotion. After significant research and development, in early 2022, Aflac introduced My Special Aflac Duck with accessories designed specifically for sickle cell patients.
“We are honored to join forces with Aflac and take part in the My Special Aflac Duck program as a way to further support our young patients receiving treatment for cancer and sickle cell disease,” said Jennifer McCafferty-Fernandez, Ph.D., senior vice president of external affairs and chief of staff, Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “We know these fun and cuddly companions are sure to enhance the care experience for the children and families we serve.”
Health care providers, support organizations and families seeking to order My Special Aflac Duck for their children or patients 3 years or older who have been diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease may do so by visiting aflacchildhoodcancer.org. All My Special Aflac Ducks are provided and delivered free of charge.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Where Children Matter Most (2024)
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South
Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately
850 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 307-bed
hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs
routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The
hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern
United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing
Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional
honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.