Hi everyone, my name is Janel, and just days after marrying the love of my life, Chase, on September 20th, our world completely changed.

On September 23rd, I was rushed to the hospital after vomiting for over 16 hours straight with no relief. We arrived late that night and waited in the packed ER until around 3 a.m., when I was finally brought back to receive medication and testing.

By the next morning, we received the devastating news: ovarian cancer.

That night, I was admitted to the hospital, where Chase and I stayed for four nights as we met with doctors, nurses, and specialists to figure out a plan. I was then referred to an OB/GYN oncologist for further evaluation, and we scheduled a follow-up for October 10th.

At that appointment, we learned the surgery plan: the doctors would need to remove both ovaries, fallopian tubes, appendix, part of my liver, and fatty tissue on October 22nd. It was a lot to take in, but we were determined to face it head-on.

While the surgery went well and there were no complications, the doctors discovered additional tumors in my intestines and abdominal area. Because of this, my medical team now believes that chemotherapy and another surgery will be the next steps in my treatment.

Through all of this, our 12-year-old daughter, Savannah, has been an absolute trooper. She’s shown incredible strength, patience, and love as we’ve navigated hospital stays, long days of recovery, and the emotional ups and downs that come with this diagnosis. We’re so proud of her resilience and the light she continues to bring to our family.

This journey has been nothing short of overwhelming. Just days before my diagnosis, we were celebrating our wedding — full of joy, laughter, and love. Now we’re learning to balance treatment, family life, and hope for healing.

We’re asking for help to ease the financial burden of this sudden and ongoing battle.

Your donations will help cover:

Update as of 11/17/2025

After my surgery, we finally received the full pathology results, and they gave us a clearer picture of what I’m facing. My cancer started in my right ovary and is a type called mucinous adenocarcinoma — meaning the tumor is made of mucus-producing cells. It’s considered moderately differentiated (G2), which means the cells look abnormal but it’s not the most aggressive form.

Over time, this cancer has spread to multiple areas of my abdomen, including my left ovary, both fallopian tubes, the lining of my abdomen (peritoneum), the omentum, appendix, bowel area, diaphragm, and even into the fluid in my abdomen. Because of this spread, my diagnosis is Stage IIIC ovarian cancer.

There was also something unexpected in the results: some of the cancer cells have developed what’s called neuroendocrine differentiation. This doesn’t mean I have a second cancer — my pathologist made that very clear. It simply means my original ovarian cancer has evolved and taken on some features of neuroendocrine cells, which can make it more complicated to treat but is still considered one cancer.

To give a sense of scale, the main tumor in my right ovary measured 13 cm, though thankfully the capsule around it remained intact during surgery. No lymph nodes were sampled, but the visible tumor deposits throughout my abdomen and the cancer cells found in my ascites fluid confirm the Stage IIIC classification.

This update has been incredibly heavy to process, but sharing it helps us stay transparent about what’s ahead.

We are preparing to start Chemotherapy December 6 followed by another surgery after the first 3 cycles. And then another 3 cycles of chemo after surgery

If you can’t donate, please consider sharing my story. Every share helps us reach someone new and reminds us that we’re not alone in this fight.

Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers. Chase, Savannah, and I are holding onto faith, hope, and each other as we face this next chapter together.

With love and gratitude,

Janel, Chase & Savannah Dansen