ATLANTA, Sept. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the leader
in voluntary insurance sales at U.S. worksites, today delivered the
very first My Special Aflac Ducks™ to the Aflac Cancer
and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. My Special Aflac Duck,
designed by Sproutel, is a social robot that uses medical play,
lifelike movement and emotions to engage and help comfort kids
during their cancer care. Today's inaugural delivery follows more
than 18 months of child-centered research conducted with children,
parents and medical providers at the Aflac Cancer Center.
"This is a great day for Aflac and for the children and families
at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center in Atlanta as we deliver the first My Special
Aflac Ducks," Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said. "This is a wonderful way to
engage our iconic Aflac Duck in the
fight against childhood cancer in a way that will help make kids
happy. The entire Aflac family, our employees and independent
agents are thrilled to make this very special delivery today."
At the delivery event, attendees were treated to a demonstration
of My Special Aflac Duck, showcasing how it will help
comfort children and serve as a tool for health care professionals
to help their patients through difficult treatments. After the
demonstration, children and their parents were sent on a fun
scavenger hunt, finding clues and visiting various locations
throughout the hospital, eventually leading them to the discovery
of their very own My Special Aflac Duck.
"The first chance to see My Special Aflac Duck in the
arms of patients makes today a red letter day. To expand the Aflac
Duck's role to that of a tangible companion through the cancer
journey of brave and special patients here and beyond is a
wonderful opportunity for our duck and for Aflac," The Aflac
Foundation, Inc. President Kathelen
Amos said.
Later this year, Aflac will expand its My Special Aflac
Duck campaign to hospitals across the country, providing a
My Special Aflac Duck to any newly diagnosed child, ages
3-13, free of charge.
In addition to My Special Aflac Duck, Sproutel has
created a companion app available on the Apple App Store and Google
Play. The app can be downloaded on smartphones and tablets free of
charge. Additional features of My Special Aflac Duck
include:
- Emotional expression: Seven RFID-enabled feeling cards
help children communicate; the duck acts out a given feeling when
that feeling card is tapped to its chest.
- Medical and nurturing play: A chemotherapy port allows
children to mirror their care experiences via play, giving them a
sense of control during the process. The duck's no-cost companion
app allows users to "bathe" it, "feed" it and give it "medicine"
via augmented reality.
- Music, dancing and nuzzling: The duck dances when music
is played. Customizable sounds include gentle waves, wind and a
farm.
- Breathing and heartbeat: The duck produces a
naturalistic heartbeat and deep breathing, which caregivers can
incorporate into calming routines and exercises.
- Batteries and accessories: Provided so it is ready to
use out of the box.
- Convenience: A removable skin, which can be washed to
adhere to hospital hygiene standards.
"Thanks to companies like Aflac, we have come incredibly far in
treating pediatric cancer over the past two decades, with more
children growing up to lead happy and productive lives than ever
before," said Douglas K. Graham,
M.D., Ph.D., director of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders
Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "But whether it is a child or an
adult, treatments for cancer can be very traumatic for patients and
their families. My Special Aflac Duck will help by providing
comfort through play. We are grateful for Aflac and its continued
dedication to not only fund treatments and research, but also for
the authentic way that they care from the highest levels of the
company to the newest employees."
Since 1995, Aflac has contributed more than $125 million to the pediatric cancer cause,
including more than $500,000 donated
each month by 17,000 independent agents licensed to sell Aflac
products. The funds are committed directly from their monthly
commission checks. To see My Special Aflac Duck in action
and to learn more about this important cause, please visit
AflacChildhoodCancer.org.
About Aflac
When a policyholder gets sick
or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than six decades,
Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity
to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leader in
voluntary insurance sales at the worksite. Through its trailblazing
One Day PaySM initiative, for eligible claims, Aflac
U.S. can process, approve and electronically send funds to
claimants for quick access to cash in just one business day. In
Japan, Aflac is the leading
provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4
households. Aflac insurance products help provide protection to
more than 50 million people worldwide. For 12 consecutive years,
Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most
Ethical Companies. In 2018, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as
one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the 20th
consecutive year and included Aflac on its list of World's Most
Admired Companies for the 17th time. Aflac Incorporated is a
Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day
PaySM, visit aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol.
Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of
Columbus and American Family Life
Assurance Company of New York.
Media contact – Jon Sullivan, 706.763.4813 or
jsullivan@aflac.com
Aflac analyst and investor contact – David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667,
FAX 706.324.6330, or dyoung@aflac.com
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SOURCE Aflac