Aflac and Dawn Staley Bring Comfort to Sickle Cell Patients with My Special Aflac Duck
When living with a condition that often brings pain and necessitates frequent medical visits, finding comfort becomes essential. This is the reality for approximately 100,000 Americans affected by sickle cell disease, including over 4,000 in South Carolina alone.
In July, University of South Carolina's celebrated Head Basketball Coach, Dawn Staley, partnered with Aflac to offer comfort to 16 pediatric sickle cell patients at Prisma Health Children's Hospital-Midlands by gifting them their very own My Special Aflac Duck®. This robotic companion helps children express their emotions, get ready for medical procedures, practice distraction techniques, and more.
Before receiving their new companions from Coach Staley, the children participated in a scavenger hunt through the hospital. The sickle cell version of My Special Aflac Duck features a special cape, resembling a blanket, to reflect the sensitivity sickle cell patients often have to temperature changes. The cape also serves as art therapy, transforming into a color-changing canvas when activated by water.
Designed in collaboration with over 100 children, families, and healthcare professionals, this duck uses medical play and lifelike movements to support children during their treatments. In 2022, Aflac enhanced the program to include specific accessories that assist pediatric sickle cell patients with their care routines.
Since the program's launch in 2018, Aflac has distributed over 31,000 My Special Aflac Ducks to children in the U.S., Japan, and Northern Ireland, with nearly a third going to those diagnosed with sickle cell disease. Aflac’s dedication to supporting pediatric cancer and blood disorders has spanned decades, with more than $184 million contributed to treatment and research since 1995 by Aflac employees, independent agents, and The Aflac Foundation, Inc.
Healthcare providers, support organizations, and families can request a free My Special Aflac Duck for children aged 3 and older who have been diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease by click here.
In July, University of South Carolina's celebrated Head Basketball Coach, Dawn Staley, partnered with Aflac to offer comfort to 16 pediatric sickle cell patients at Prisma Health Children's Hospital-Midlands by gifting them their very own My Special Aflac Duck®. This robotic companion helps children express their emotions, get ready for medical procedures, practice distraction techniques, and more.
Before receiving their new companions from Coach Staley, the children participated in a scavenger hunt through the hospital. The sickle cell version of My Special Aflac Duck features a special cape, resembling a blanket, to reflect the sensitivity sickle cell patients often have to temperature changes. The cape also serves as art therapy, transforming into a color-changing canvas when activated by water.
Designed in collaboration with over 100 children, families, and healthcare professionals, this duck uses medical play and lifelike movements to support children during their treatments. In 2022, Aflac enhanced the program to include specific accessories that assist pediatric sickle cell patients with their care routines.
Since the program's launch in 2018, Aflac has distributed over 31,000 My Special Aflac Ducks to children in the U.S., Japan, and Northern Ireland, with nearly a third going to those diagnosed with sickle cell disease. Aflac’s dedication to supporting pediatric cancer and blood disorders has spanned decades, with more than $184 million contributed to treatment and research since 1995 by Aflac employees, independent agents, and The Aflac Foundation, Inc.
Healthcare providers, support organizations, and families can request a free My Special Aflac Duck for children aged 3 and older who have been diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease by click here.
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