Aflac 2008 Annual Report Download - page 23

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It’s no mystery how Aflac makes a difference. 19
As a member of Carl Edwards’ NASCAR
pit crew, no one knows better than “Hoss”
how a strong team can mean the difference
between coming in first place and coming
in second place. Growing up in New York
and New Jersey, Hoss, whose real name is
Joe Karasinski, used to go along with his
brother and his father to various races,
and he dreamed of working on cars for a
NASCAR team. After earning his degree
in automotive sciences, Hoss has been
with Roush Fenway Racing since the end of
2001, gassing the No. 99 car since 2003.
With a history of cancer in his family,
Hoss and his wife, Vikki, decided to apply
for Aflac’s cancer insurance policy
on top of the accident policy they
already had. And then the news
came – in February 2008, he was
diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Surgeons at Presbyterian
Hospital in Charlotte
removed his thyroid along
with 63 lymph nodes. Of
those, twelve were cancerous
– a number no one wants to
beat. At this point, teamwork
took on a whole new meaning
as his support system, including
his family, friends, coworkers,
surgeons, and even his three dogs
– all supported him in various ways.
Also supporting Hoss was Aflac, and
he found that the Aflac cancer policy
provided financial relief and peace of
mind when he was unable to work for a
couple of months. Hoss is right back where
he wants to be – fulfilling his dream of
working on Carl Edwards’ No. 99 car.
“ I had to rest a lot throughout my recovery, and it was difficult to stay away from the
racetrack. Out of work for two months, I missed seven races, and Aflac really came in
handy during that pinch. Those benefit checks made a big difference when I was off work.
I am back in the thick of NASCAR, on pit road every Sunday—right where I want to be. I
really appreciated how easy Aflac made everything.”
—Joe “Hoss” Karasinski, Roush Fenway Racing