COLUMBUS, Ga., Aug. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the United States, today announced the creation of an advisory council of highly respected authorities in childhood cancer and related fields, as well as individuals directly impacted by pediatric cancer. Together, they will provide expert perspectives to help guide the Aflac Childhood Cancer Campaign, which aims to provide innovative care and support to each of the more than 15,000 children newly diagnosed with cancer each year in the U.S. The goal of this campaign is to help build a greater movement around the cause.

The Aflac Childhood Cancer Campaign Advisory Council will provide input on the program's comprehensive strategies, including efforts to raise awareness and to support research, treatment, and the social-emotional needs of children and families facing pediatric cancer. One element of the program is My Special Aflac Duck™, an award-winning robotic companion for children who have cancer. Beginning in September 2018, the company will donate My Special Aflac Ducks at no cost to any child in the U.S., ages three and up, newly diagnosed with cancer.

"Childhood cancer is too big for any one organization to tackle alone. We are deeply grateful to the Aflac Childhood Cancer Campaign Advisory Council members for selflessly lending their time and expertise to advance our shared goal of offering innovations like the My Special Aflac Duck in support of these brave children as they go through their treatment," Aflac Foundation President Kathelen Amos said. "The considered input of this panel of esteemed leaders in the field will help ensure that our resources are being utilized to the utmost advantage in supporting pediatric cancer patients."

Aflac welcomed the following leaders to the Advisory Council:

• Peter C. Adamson, M.D., chair of the Children's Oncology Group, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
• Emily Belcher, issue champion and mother of a child who is now stable while dealing with cancer.
• Talia Holden-Brooks, Psy.D., clinical psychologist; patient advocate, Children's Oncology Group.
• Douglas K. Graham, M.D., Ph.D.; director, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
• Moira Gunn, Ph.D., professor of global information systems and biotechnology in the School of Business and Professional Studies at the University of San Francisco; host, Tech Nation and BioTech Nation.
• Eugene W. Johnson, M.S., M.A., RN, CCLS; committee chair, Association of Child Life Professionals; coordinator, Child Life Department at Huntsville Hospital.

"I recently had the opportunity to spend time with the members of the council at their inaugural meeting and was extremely impressed by their insights and dedication. We are honored to work with such an outstanding group of advisors on this important cause," said Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos. "Aflac's mission is to help people when they need it most, and I can think of no better way to illustrate this commitment than to help children and families impacted by cancer. I want to thank every member of this Advisory Council for their dedication to children and families and their compassionate drive to serve the community."

To learn more, please visit AflacChildhoodCancer.org.

About Aflac
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite. Through its trailblazing One Day Pay^SM initiative, for eligible claims, Aflac U.S. can process, approve and electronically send funds to claimants for quick access to cash in just one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For 12 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2018, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the 20th consecutive year and included Aflac on its list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 17th time. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day Pay^SM, visit aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol.

Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

Media contacts –    Jon Sullivan, 706.763.4813 or jsullivan@aflac.com
Aflac analyst and investor contact – David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667, FAX 706.324.6330, or dyoung@aflac.com

SOURCE Aflac

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