Announcing our new Ambassador Brittany Coles!
On this World Head and Neck Cancer Day, Head and Neck Cancer Australia has great pleasure in announcing our new Ambassador, Brittany Coles. Brittany is a journalist, producer and television presenter, currently working at Nine News in Melbourne. When Brittany was starting her journalism career at the Geelong Advertiser, her father Andrew Coles, was undergoing treatment for throat cancer - a type of Head and Neck Cancer - caused by the common Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which four out five people will have contact with at some point in their lives and won’t even know it.
Following extensive treatment Andrew developed a rare airways disease and can no longer eat, relying on a PEG tube for vital nutrition. Frustrated by the looks Andrew received in public Brittany started a TikTok channel to boost knowledge and help her father build confidence. Her account now has over 6.5 million likes and 68,000 followers. A video showing Andrew, unable to eat himself yet cooking Brittany's favourite meal has been watched by over one million people.
Brittany is driven by what she sees as limited resources, funding and awareness for Head and Neck Cancer.
“I am extremely excited to become an Ambassador for Head and Neck Cancer Australia. Watching what my dad has gone through, knowing that others are also suffering with so little funding and awareness, yet knowing there is one charity in Australia doing its best to make a difference to those people, I am on a mission to make HANCA a household name,” says Brittany.
“I especially want to help create support for Head and Neck Cancer patients following treatment. The reality is that many continue to be affected by their treatment for years, if not for life. I also want to be a spokesperson for carers and family members who can feel just as impacted as the patient.”
HANCA CEO Nadia Rosin says, "Brittany is a powerhouse and dedicated to her father, her family and to spreading awareness of the lifelong effects Head and Neck Cancer often has. She also brings a different perspective to our ambassador program as a carer and loved one. And with her work as a journalist, she is the perfect choice for getting the HANCA message out there, we are delighted to have her on board”
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