{"id":15541,"date":"2022-05-03T15:29:20","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T19:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/weeklyrounds\/?p=15541"},"modified":"2022-05-03T15:29:20","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T19:29:20","slug":"patients-at-childrens-regional-hospital-at-cooper-receive-social-robot-thanks-to-collaboration-with-aflac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/weeklyrounds\/2022\/05\/patients-at-childrens-regional-hospital-at-cooper-receive-social-robot-thanks-to-collaboration-with-aflac\/","title":{"rendered":"Patients at Children\u2019s Regional Hospital at Cooper Receive Social Robot Thanks to Collaboration With Aflac"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, several young patients being treated for sickle cell disease at Children\u2019s Regional Hospital at Cooper received a cuddly new companion specially designed to help them through their medical journey.\u00a0A duck delivery and unboxing event celebrated the new collaboration between Cooper and Aflac to provide a My Special Aflac Duck<\/em><\/a> free of charge to all pediatric sickle cell patients ages 3 and older who are undergoing treatment.<\/p>\n

My Special Aflac Duck<\/em> is a social robot that offers a sense of comfort, joy, and control to children undergoing cancer treatment and children living with sickle cell disease. In consultation with more than 100 children, families, and medical professionals, Aflac<\/a>, along with Sproutel<\/a>, a patient-centered research and development company in Providence, Rhode Island, debuted My Special Aflac Duck<\/em> in 2018 as part of its 26-year, $159-plus million commitment to childhood cancer and blood disorders, including sickle cell disease. Since then, Aflac has donated and distributed more than 15,000 My Special Aflac Ducks<\/em> to more than 300 hospitals and disease-focused organizations.<\/p>\n

In early 2022, Aflac introduced a new-generation My Special Aflac Duck<\/em> with features and play accessories designed specifically for sickle cell patients. In 2018, My Special Aflac Duck<\/em> was named one of the Best 50 Inventions of the Year by Time magazine, received the People\u2019s Choice Award at SXSW, and Best in Show at CES.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year, nearly 200 children receive care through Children\u2019s Regional Hospital at Cooper\u2019s sickle cell program. We know that doctor visits and hospitalizations can be overwhelming for these children,\u201d said Michael H. Goodman, MD, MMM, FAAP, FAES, Chair and Chief of Pediatrics at Cooper, and Professor of Pediatrics at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. \u201cThese specially designed interactive ducks will be calming companions and enhance the overall experience of our young patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn behalf of The Cooper Foundation, we commend Aflac for their commitment to children\u2019s health by making My Special Aflac Duck available to young sickle cell patients free of charge. The benefits of Aflac\u2019s corporate generosity to our patients and their families will be immeasurable,\u201d said Robert Ortiz, JD, Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer of The Cooper Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cooper University Health Care.<\/p>\n

\u201cSickle cell is an underfunded, often painful disease that affects 100,000 Americans, including one in 365 Black children born every year. We are pleased to work with Children\u2019s Regional Hospital and The Cooper Foundation to ensure that children facing sickle cell disease receive their very own My Special Aflac Duck<\/em>, which, through medical play, helps deliver comfort to children and their families during difficult times,\u201d said Aflac Southern New Jersey Regional Sales Coordinator Michael DeSarno.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Four-year-old Tristan Cruz unboxes a My Special Aflac Duck beside his mother and grandmother.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Cooper residents and representatives from Aflac celebrate with four-year-old Tristan Cruz and his family.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Eva Dey gives her My Special Aflac Duck a check up.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Representatives of The Cooper Foundation and Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper with sickle cell patient Eva Dey.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, several young patients being treated for sickle cell disease at Children\u2019s Regional Hospital at Cooper received a cuddly new companion specially designed to help them through their medical journey.\u00a0A duck delivery and unboxing event celebrated the new collaboration between Cooper and Aflac to provide a My Special Aflac Duck free of charge to all … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-areed","4":"post-15541","6":"format-standard","7":"category-uncategorized"},"yoast_head":"\nPatients at Children\u2019s Regional Hospital at Cooper Receive Social Robot Thanks to Collaboration With Aflac - Weekly Rounds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Patients at Children\u2019s Regional Hospital at Cooper Receive Social Robot Thanks to Collaboration With Aflac - Weekly Rounds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Today, several young patients being treated for sickle cell disease at Children\u2019s Regional Hospital at Cooper received a cuddly new companion specially designed to help them through their medical journey.\u00a0A duck delivery and unboxing event celebrated the new collaboration between Cooper and Aflac to provide a My Special Aflac Duck free of charge to all ... 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