PR Newswire·Oct 28, 2026, 9:40 AM ET

My Special Aflac Duck® Puts Love and Care in the hands of Children at Riley Hospital

AFL

Aflac delivered 40 My Special Aflac Duck robotic companions to pediatric cancer & blood disorder patients at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis on Oct. 28, 2026.
The robotic ducks feature lifelike movement, interactive tools, RFID emoji cards for communication, & an app to engage children in activities.
A 2024 three-year clinical study at 8 U.S. hospitals involving 160 patients found the companions reduced treatment-related distress & anxiety for children while providing positive benefits to caregivers.
The device was designed with input from over 100 children, families, & medical professionals in partnership with Empath Labs.
The companion received Best In Show honors at CES 2018, South by Southwest 2019, & was named one of TIME magazine's Best Inventions of 2018.
Patients & families participated in a hospital scavenger hunt, demonstrations, & received treats before receiving their robotic companions.
Since its debut, Aflac has provided over 48,000 My Special Aflac Ducks free of charge to children in the U.S., Japan, & Northern Ireland.
Aflac has contributed more than $200 million toward research, treatment, & support programs for pediatric cancer & blood disorders over the past three decades.
The companion is available free of charge for children ages 3 & older diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease via MySpecialAflacDuck.com.
Riley Hospital for Children has received over 100 years of support from Riley Children's Foundation, serving more than 300,000 patients annually in Indiana.