Janet Davas has always been a “doer.” After nearly 30 years working in the private energy sector, she turned her energy to social entrepreneurship, launching Liberty’s Kitchen, which offered a job development program to at-risk youth in New Orleans. Then she launched a social entrepreneurship consulting business.
So, in 2020, when faced with a devastating diagnosis — previously treated breast cancer that had metastasized to her brain, spine, and bones — Davas retired from work, but she was determined to keep on “doing.” Though it’s not without challenges, four years after her diagnosis, she lives a full life.
She relishes time spent with her friends and family, goes “picking” for her hobby antiques business around the country, and has traveled internationally at least twice a year since COVID restrictions were lifted. “I haven’t let cancer define me,” she said.
She gives much of the credit to the care she receives at the Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis, where she is treated with a targeted therapy and a team approach. On her first visit to Duke in 2021, Davas met her entire team, including medical oncologist Carey Anders, MD; radiation oncologist John Kirkpatrick, MD; patient navigator Sidonie Magee; and palliative care specialist Betsy Fricklas. She has one word for the experience: “impressive.”
