Originally published on Aflac Newsroom
In honor of Childhood Cancer and Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September, we spoke with Georgia teenager Charlaye, who deals with the challenges of sickle cell disease every day, and her family, knowing that spreading awareness makes all the difference.
“It’s important to educate yourself on illnesses that you can’t see, like sickle cell disease, because you never know what anybody is going through,” Charlaye said.
Helping patients like Charlaye is part of Aflac’s philanthropic mission of supporting pediatric cancer and blood disorders research and treatment. Throughout the last 30 years, Aflac has raised more than $191 million for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the largest pediatric sickle cell program in America.
Aflac was founded in 1955 on the concept of helping people in their time of need. As a pioneer of the cancer insurance industry in the United States, the company has intentionally aligned its business with where we give back to the community, most specifically, through our primary philanthropic cause, childhood cancer and blood disorders.
“We realized everyone in some way, shape or form has been touched by cancer or blood disorders,” said Buffy Swinehart, senior manager of Aflac’s Corporate Responsibility program. “We also learned that pediatric cancer and blood disorders, specifically, are severely underfunded.”
To further this work, Aflac has created and delivered more than 40,000 My Special Aflac Ducks® since the program began in 2018. My Special Aflac Duck is a cuddly, comforting robotic companion given free of charge to children ages 3 and up diagnosed with pediatric cancer or sickle cell disease. The duck has been scientifically proven to provide relief from stress and anxiety through innovative technology that helps children prepare for medical procedures, communicate their feelings, practice distraction techniques and more.
Charlaye’s story and the great work by medical professionals to treat and research children’s cancer and blood disorders was told through a video featured on Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter, and aired on television stations across the nation as part of the company’s 2025 September campaign, honoring the children and families experiencing these challenges.
Learn more about Aflac’s work in September and each month throughout the year at Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter.
Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.
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