Shining Brighter Than Tennessee Orange
Originally published on Aflac Newsroom
A little over a week before Tennessee faced Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game, Hudson watches a Friday morning Tennessee football practice from an exclusive sideline spot. Taking in the sounds of buzzers and coaches’ voices, highlighted by accents of orange and white, Hudson, joined by his parents and two siblings, celebrated an early 13th birthday gift.
As Tennessee prepared for its football season, Hudson’s daily preparation took on a different perspective. Undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor detected last December, Hudson was tasked with strategizing a challenging game plan at just 12 years old. Though chemotherapy and proton therapy are very present in his life, today’s presence was about being a kid again.
Taking a brief hiatus from appointments at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Hudson embraced all the orange eye candy accentuated by championship trophies, the NFL wall and, of course, the Peyton Manning Room. Amid all the memorabilia, an even more special moment was about to take place.
Just as practice wrapped, Tennessee Football Head Coach Josh Heupel ended the session a little differently. With My Special Aflac Duck® in hand — a free-of-charge robotic companion that provides comfort and joy to children during their cancer treatment — Coach Heupel greeted Hudson and introduced him to the team.
Surrounded by good vibes and smiles, there wasn’t a Volunteer football player that walked away without greeting their special guest for the day. Though determination describes the players on the field, they caouldn’t help but commend Hudson’s own competitive nature in his medical journey.
Hudson’s story and grit are special but, unfortunately, not uncommon. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 15,000 children under the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer each year in the U.S.
As the nation’s longest-running neutral-site game on opening weekend, the Aflac Kickoff Game blends passion for football with dedication to making a difference. Through Aflac’s partnership with Peach Bowl Inc., the game places an emphasis on purpose and the support of participating teams’ communities through the Kickoff for a Cause initiative while also benefiting the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
In the first three years of Aflac’s sponsorship of the kickoff game, Kickoff for a Cause has helped raise more than $1.2 million while bringing much-needed awareness to pediatric cancer at the start of September, National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
This milestone year marks 30 years of Aflac’s commitment supporting pediatric cancer care and research, with more than $191 million contributed since support began. You can also make a difference by visiting give.choa.org/aflac to donate today.
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