Chemo Duck was introduced by children's cancer charity Aoibheann's Pink Tie and aims to support children undergoing chemotherapy.
The soft toy duck has a Hickman line in his chest, which is used to deliver drugs into the system of a person battling cancer, and intends to shows the children that they are not battling the illness alone. Chemo Duck acts as a platform from which the child can verbalise their fears and concerns while undergoing therapy.
One little boy who has sought solace in Chemo Duck is two-year-old Ceejay Brown, who was diagnosed with leukaemia last September.
Ceejay's parents Susan and Marcus have asserted that Chemo Duck has made a massive difference in their son's life, saying: "It allows him to verbalise and act out his own fears."
According to his mum, little Ceejay struggled while having bloods taken from his foot during the course of his treatment, revealing "He was screaming crying. He wouldn't take his slippers off at night and would even wear them in bed."
Chemo Duck is now an invaluable member of the Brown family with Susan saying: "Then we got Chemo Duck. The staff would treat Chemo Duck first and then put him sitting on Ceejay's knee. He would look after Chemo Duck while he was being treated."
Chemo Duck is currently being offered to children free of charge and is part of Gabe's Chemo Duck programme, which was established in the States in 2002 after a mother altered a soft toy in order to support her son during his cancer treatment.
