( MENAFN - 3BL) Originally published on Aflac Newsroom The journey after a cancer diagnosis often involves juggling schedules, managing treatment plans and trying to glean as much information from health care providers as possible - not to mention the emotions that one must process. Simply put: It can be a lot to manage. You can probably multiply that by 10 when it involves a child.
That's one reason why Aflac created My Special Aflac Duck® - first and foremost, it's a comforting companion for children ages 3 and over facing cancer or sickle cell disease. It's also designed to be a helpful tool for communication for children, parents and caregivers during what can be, for many, a time of stress. In fact, My Special Aflac Duck was recently the focus of a three-year clinical study spearheaded by researchers at Emory University and conducted at eight hospitals across the country.
The study, which included 160 patients, their families and health care professionals, was released in April, showing that My Special Aflac Duck helps pediatric patients with cancer cope with treatment-related distress and anxiety. The My Special Aflac Duck program is more than just a cuddly robot - it also comes with a suite of resources to help provide education, comfort and joy throughout the treatment process. In fact, with the help of the My Special Aflac Duck creators, Empath Labs , Aflac recently expanded their online Resource Hub , which now includes: My Special Aflac Duck is a robotic and cheri.