CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Aflac’s famous duck has been on TV for decades. With the popularity comes a product line, one they have redefined to help kids in need.
The company spent 18 months developing a high-tech robotic comfort duck, but this one is specifically designed to help sick children.
Kids suffering from sickle cell disease at Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper in Camden got to test out the new toys Friday. The Aflac-Cooper collaboration provided the kids with a My Special Aflac Duck, which moves, quacks, and interacts with them.
They can also use an accompanying app with the duck.
“You can give your duck a bath, feed your duck special food and even visit faraway planets to listen to soothing Soundscapes™,” the directions for the app say.
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“Now watch this! If you tickle him, he will actually respond,” said Buffy Swinehart, a spokesperson for the insurance company. “He has sensors in his body that respond to touch.”
Eva, 4, was all smiles as she unboxed the toy. She promptly named hers Larry.
“It looks cool,” she said, “because you can take its temperature.”
Her mother, Samantha Andrew, said this is the perfect gift because it came with a thermometer, bandages and stethoscope.
“It’s going to bring joy to her because she always likes to play pretend doctor. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up, she always tells me,” Andrew added.
Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper cares for nearly 200 pediatric patients in its sickle cell clinic each year.
Andrew said this medical journey has been really hard on their family, and little gestures like this go a long way.
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Aflac debuted its robotic duck in 2018 for its 26-year, $159 million commitment to childhood cancer and blood disorders, including sickle cell disease. The company has given away more than 15,000 ducks to kids at more than 300 hospitals.
In 2018, Time magazine named it as one of the Best 50 Inventions of the year.
The 2022 version of the toy has features specifically designed for sickle cell patients, including objects to help them care for their duck in the ways they receive help and ways to give them a unique sense of comfort.