Believe in Women: Janeen VanVactor

Janeen VanVactor

My name is Janeen VanVactor. I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. I’ve been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years. In July of 2007, I moved to Scottsdale for additional professional opportunities. I met my loving wife in the summer of 2016, and we have been married since March 2019.

I grew up with a passion for both competing and watching many sports, especially basketball. After I stopped competing, I became a coach for several years. I loved coaching as I was able to help youth learn important life lessons such as teamwork, communication, and the importance of discipline and hard work.

After moving to Arizona in 2007, I attended several Mercury games! It didn’t take long for me to realize I needed to support women’s basketball, so I soon became a member of the X-Factor! Growing up and throughout my professional career, I have been blessed to have strong women as role models. My mother was and still is an important role model for me. She worked full-time as a Registered Nurse, raised 3 children with our father, was always present at our extracurricular activities, volunteered in the community, and still found time to complete her master’s degree. Another strong woman who served as a role model was my first manager at the hospital. I watched Jean work full-time, raise 2 children, and serve 2 tours of duty in the Gulf War. Both my mom and Jean showed me the importance of hard work and always being committed, no matter what hardships or barriers you encounter.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but those lessons would help me with my breast cancer journey. I was diagnosed on September 1st 2016, with Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. I completed 6 months of chemotherapy, had surgery to remove the tumor, and then completed 30 rounds of radiation. My journey has been extremely difficult as my body often exhibits many side effects to the treatment needed. In January of 2021, I was diagnosed Metastatic as the cancer had spread to my bones. As of November 2025, cancer has spread to my liver and lungs. While the journey has been more like a roller coaster at times, I continue to think about the values I learned early in life and try to put them to use each day. I’m often asked why I am so willing to share the difficulties of my journey. Two reasons come to mind: being a Registered Nurse, I have a passion for teaching and helping others, and I hope to increase awareness while decreasing the fears of others.

Rock the Pink night has always been important to me. My mother is a 20-year survivor, and I remember having tears in my eyes at my 1st Pink game. The Mercury consistently do their part to raise awareness, provide education, and allow survivors a safe space for sharing their personal stories. Last year, I had the opportunity to be an “Intro Buddy”! It was a true honor to participate not only for myself but for other warriors/survivors. In addition, it was the “Ultimate Fan Girl” experience. If I’m having a bad day, I can think about walking out with AT, with a smile on my face and warmth in my heart!