About Us

Hi, I’m Rachel Danchek — founder of One Ring Closer and a stage 3 ovarian cancer survivor.

At 30, I found myself facing something I never saw coming. After almost a year of unexplained infertility, I kept pushing for answers and eventually, an ultrasound found a grapefruit-sized mass on my left ovary. A week later, I had surgery, and that’s when I heard the word no one ever expects: cancer.

Everything changed overnight. Within days, I started fertility treatments, determined to hold onto my dream of becoming a mom. I went through two rounds of IVF, and just a week later, I started chemo. In total, I had six rounds of chemo, a laparoscopic debulking surgery, and a second major surgery called HIPEC.

On September 3, 2024, I rang the bell — marking the end of treatment and the beginning of a new chapter. That season was the hardest of my life, but it also showed me just how powerful love and support can be when you’re walking through something unimaginable.

During chemo, my stepmom made me a paper ring chain — one ring for each day of treatment. Inside each one was something simple but meaningful: a quote, a prayer, a memory, a joke. Every morning, I’d pull off a ring and feel just a little closer to the end. That chain became my lifeline — a daily reminder that I wasn’t alone.

That’s what inspired me to start One Ring Closer. I wanted to create something that could offer that same feeling of connection and hope to others going through hard things. Because cancer isn’t just physical — it’s emotional, mental, and so isolating at times. But even a small reminder that someone’s thinking of you can make all the difference.

Today, my husband and I are starting the surrogacy journey — still holding onto our dream of growing our family. One Ring Closer is my way of giving back, honoring the love that carried me through, and reminding others that you never have to go through it alone. We’re One Ring Closer — together.