CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Cancer patients at Driscoll Children's Hospital received some special gifts Thursday courtesy of the Aflac Insurance duck.
The Aflac duck wasn't selling low deductible and premiums Thursday, but instead was there to comfort young patients who are going through cancer treatments.
More than a dozen duck toys were given to Driscoll Children's Hospital through the Children's Miracle Network. The toy is powered by Bluetooth via a tablet or phone and allows kids to attach one of several disks to the duck's chest. The disks describes how they're feeling and in turn, the duck makes a sound.
"Those are like perfect toys for little kids so they can express themselves, so they can show everybody how they feel," said Nidia Mireles, whose daughter Maria is recovering from a fight with a cancerous tumor.
Maria unboxed a furry friend that she will get to take home with her.
Child Life Specialists like Leah Nawrocki said toys like this are necessary for children who are going through or recovering from treatment.
"It helps them learn about their environment, about the experiences they're going through, and they also have choices," Nawrocki said.
The duck also has a Mediport, just like the young cancer patients. Nawrocki said it's important for the patients to see what doctors will be doing to them and to keep them distracted while they undergo procedures.
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