How You Can Lend a Hand When It’s Needed Most

Rhea-AI Summary

Aflac is raising awareness for National Childhood Cancer and Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month this September. The company offers tips on how to support affected families, including providing meals, spending time together, sending supportive messages, helping with tasks, assisting with caregiving, and offering comfort items.

Aflac has donated over $184 million since 1995 to support children with cancer and blood disorders. They created My Special Aflac Duck, a free robotic companion for children with cancer or sickle cell disease, clinically proven to reduce stress. To date, over 32,000 ducks have been distributed.

The company encourages people to visit Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter for inspirational stories, comfort tips, and information on requesting a duck for eligible children.

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• Aflac has donated over $184 million since 1995 to support children with cancer and blood disorders
• My Special Aflac Duck, a free robotic companion, is clinically proven to reduce stress for children and parents
• Over 32,000 My Special Aflac Ducks have been distributed free of charge to children with cancer or sickle cell disease

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• None.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 19, 2024 / September is National Childhood Cancer and National Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. Sadly, nearly 10,000 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and about 1 in every 365 Black or African American babies in the U.S. are born with sickle cell disease - about 1 in 13 are born with the trait. With this in mind, Aflac is on a mission to assist families and provide tips for how you can help bring some relief for those who are impacted.

Here are a few ideas on how you can comfort families when they need it most:

1. Provide a meal. It can be home-cooked, delivered from a restaurant, or a voucher for a meal delivery service. You can also share store-bought or homemade baked goods.

2. Spend time together. Take a walk, see a movie together, offer to be a listening ear or just sit in silence together.

3. Send a message of support. Share gentle empathy with a card, note, text, voicemail, email or private social media message.

4. Offer to help with tasks. Ask if you can help clean their home, do laundry, water plants, get groceries, care for pets, take their car for a wash, or pick up their mail or newspapers.

5. Help with caregiving responsibilities. Offer to babysit or stay with their other children while keeping things as normal as possible. If you have children of your own, set up a playdate.

6. Drop off a favorite comfort item. Consider a magazine, book or board game.

"It's easy to ask, ‘Can I help?' But for those in the midst of a treatment journey - whether it's their own or a loved one's - it can be tough to determine what they need in that moment," said Buffy Swinehart, senior manager, Aflac Corporate Social Responsibility. "Instead, try offering specific acts of service like, ‘Can I send you some dinner?' or ‘Can I take care of the kids or pets this evening?' This way, the other person can simply say yes or no."

Want more information on how you can lend a hand to those in need? Visit Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter for inspirational stories about My Special Aflac Duck^®, an award-winning, free robotic, comforting companion, that provides comfort and joy and is clinically proven to help reduce stress for kids and for parents. You can even request one for a child age 3 or older with pediatric cancer or sickle cell. You can download tips for providing comfort to families in need (available in English and Spanish), as well as images that you can share on social media to encourage your followers to help inspire action.

Since 1995, Aflac has been committed to help support those who care for children with cancer and blood disorders like sickle cell disease. Over the last three decades, the company has donated more than $184 million to these causes. But the support isn't just monetary, Aflac also created My Special Aflac Duck in 2018 to provide children with cancer comfort through a robotic companion designed to help them express their emotions and help normalize medical procedures. In 2022, the company adapted My Special Aflac Duck with special accessories to support children with sickle cell disease. To date, Aflac has distributed more than 32,000 of these ducks - free of charge - to children ages 3 and up with cancer or sickle cell.

Join us in building a bridge to a brighter future at Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation for insurance. Aflac includes Aflac and/or Aflac New York and/or Continental American Insurance Company and/or Continental American Life Insurance Company.

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View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Aflac Incorporated on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Aflac Incorporated
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/aflac-incorporated
Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Aflac Incorporated

View the original press release on accesswire.com

FAQ

What is Aflac doing for National Childhood Cancer and Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month?

Aflac is raising awareness and providing tips on how to support affected families. They're also promoting their My Special Aflac Duck program, a free robotic companion for children with cancer or sickle cell disease.

How many My Special Aflac Ducks has Aflac distributed to children with cancer or sickle cell disease?

Aflac has distributed over 32,000 My Special Aflac Ducks free of charge to children ages 3 and up with cancer or sickle cell disease.

How much has Aflac (AFL) donated to support children with cancer and blood disorders since 1995?

Aflac has donated more than $184 million since 1995 to support children with cancer and blood disorders like sickle cell disease.

Where can I find more information about Aflac's (AFL) initiatives for children with cancer and sickle cell disease?

You can visit Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter for inspirational stories, comfort tips, and information on requesting a My Special Aflac Duck for eligible children.