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, 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 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 my journey. Inside each one was something simple but meaningful: a quote, a prayer, a memory, a joke. Every morning, I’d tear 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. What began as a way to bring hope to people going through cancer has grown into something so much bigger — a way to celebrate any season worth counting down. Whether it’s chemo or a baby on the way, surgery recovery or retirement, we all need reminders that we’re getting closer to something good. What started as a small act of love has become a way to remind people — in every kind of season — that they’re never alone.

We’re all just finding our way forward, one ring closer at a time. 💚