Award-winning My Special Aflac Duck® arrives in El Paso to provide comfort and joy to children facing cancer and blood disorders

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Sep 28, 2023, 19:45 ET

Ten children experience a heartwarming surprise: robotic Aflac ducks delivered with a day full of festive activities in honor of National Childhood Cancer and National Sickle Cell Awareness Month

COLUMBUS, Ga., Sept. 28, 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, delivered today its acclaimed My Special Aflac Ducks to ten children at El Paso Children's Hospital. This heartfelt initiative coincided with National Childhood Cancer and National Sickle Cell Awareness Month.

Ten children experience a heartwarming surprise and receive My Special Aflac Ducks® at El Paso Children's Hospital.

With lifelike movements and emotional interactions, My Special Aflac Duck transcends language barriers, helping children cope with cancer and sickle cell disease, and is a cherished companion that brings joy and comfort to children and their families. El Paso, with a large Hispanic American population, was selected for this delivery as part of Aflac's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and its commitment to providing families with the resources and support they need as they go through very challenging times.

"Our mission at Aflac 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 El Paso families as they welcome a new friend to walk with them on their journey. This remarkable program has brought comfort and joy to over 24,000 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."

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 children, families and health care professionals. Its primary aim is to assist children in managing their treatments, especially from an emotional standpoint. 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.

Attendees at El Paso Children's Hospital participated in a My Special Aflac Duck demonstration before beginning an exciting scavenger hunt to meet their very own robotic companion. Following the hunt, 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.

"This valued partnership between Aflac and El Paso Children's Hospital has been instrumental in helping spread joy to our patients, providing comfort through play. In the recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we are confident that this donation will continue providing the comfort needed for every patient who will receive one these award-winning My Special Aflac Ducks," said Dr. Cindy Stout, D.N.P., R.N., NEA-BC, President and CEO of El Paso Children's Hospital.

"We are incredibly grateful to Aflac, who has so thoughtfully considered our patients at El Paso Children's Hospital," said Dr. Abigail Tarango, El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation Executive Director. "Our Foundation understands that children diagnosed with cancer need tools to express the ranges of emotions that they may experience. My Special Aflac Duck brings smiles to each oncology patient and helps them express themselves."

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 67 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. In 2021, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). In 2022, the company was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the ninth year, the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the 17th consecutive year, Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for the 22nd time and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year. 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 EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
El Paso Children's Hospital is the only separately licensed, not-for-profit, Joint Commission certified, specialty pediatric hospital within a 350-mile radius solely dedicated to pediatric care.

¹ LIMRA 2021 US Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report

Media contact for Aflac: Jon Sullivan, 706-763-4813 or [email protected]

Media contact for El Paso Children's Hospital: Daniel Veale, 915-525-0504, [email protected]

Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or [email protected]

SOURCE Aflac