Hip Hop Cartoon Promotes Self-Esteem for Children with Cancer

Nashville, Tenn.Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program®, a nonprofit organization providing education and comfort to children with cancer has collaborated with New York-based Flocabulary, a company that creates educational hip-hop songs and videos to create a cartoon promoting self-esteem for children living with cancer. Flocabulary typically works within the educational field and has videos in more than 15,000 schools across the country. The partnership between Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program and Flocabulary is the first of its kind, offering a new and creative way to help kids with cancer. Flocabulary is known to motivate students and boost test scores. The two companies hope the result of their collaboration will motivate cancer patients to not give up on their identity and will-power and boost their self-esteem.

The cartoon music video, titled “I’m Still Me” sheds light on the struggles children go through during cancer treatment. It reiterates the fact that children are still themselves however and still trying to live a normal life. The cartoon addresses topics relevant to cancer diagnosis and appeals to children of all ages. The music video gives insight into the changes a child dealing with cancer will experience and helps children learn that they are not alone and are still the same kid they were before being diagnosed.

“Flocabulary has been instrumental to bringing Gabe’s story to life in a unique way and helping children understand what they are going through,” says Lu Sipos, founder of Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program.
“We had never done anything with the healthcare industry, so this was a chance to do something impactful and help kids who are struggling with cancer treatments,” says Alex Rappaport, founder and CEO of Flocabulary. “If we put a smile on just one kid’s face, then we have done our part.”

To watch the video, visit www.chemoduck.org/imstillme.


Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program

Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program® is a program of the Nashville-based nonprofit organization, Gabe’s My Heart. Established in 2004 to provide education and comfort to children living with cancer through medical play using therapeutic tools, Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program has provided more than 20,000 ducks to children around the world. The goal of the program is to enable hospital staff and parents to prepare children for chemotherapy treatment and eliminate the fear of the unknown. Chemo Duck is a stuffed yellow duck dressed in blue hospital scrubs with a bandana around its head, a chemotherapy port on its chest and an immobilizer on his arm. In a gentle, age-appropriate manner, children learn what to expect during cancer treatment and have a friend to share the experience. In turn, children can use Chemo Duck to help friends, siblings and classmates to understand and empathize with their experience. In addition to providing Chemo Ducks, this comprehensive program has developed tools and resources for parents and caregivers, games and educational materials for children, tips for healthcare professionals, and much more. For more information, visit www.chemoduck.org.

 

Flocabulary

Flocabulary is an online learning platform that delivers educational hip-hop songs and videos to students in grades K-12. Founded in 2004, Flocabulary is now used in more than 15,000 schools and reaches a weekly audience of nearly six million students. Their mission is to motivate kids and help them reach their full academic potential, not only by raising test scores but by fostering a love of learning in every child. Flocabulary is proven to raise scores on state reading tests, increase vocabulary proficiency in schools and boost achievement in afterschool settings.  To learn more, visit www.flocabulary.com.