Portrait of The Harberts Family

Daniel Harberts should have been outside trick-or-treating with his friends. Instead, he was at CHOC Children’s beginning treatment for liver cancer. It was Halloween, 1992, and Daniel had just celebrated his third birthday. 

For the next two years, the Harberts stayed on and off at the Orange County and Los Angeles Ronald McDonald Houses while Daniel underwent chemotherapy. “We never wanted him to be alone,” says Craig. It made Daniel happy to have his family around — especially his baby sister. Staying at a Ronald McDonald House kept all of them close.

Daniel, who has two younger siblings, is now grown up and finishing a technical program in Missouri. “You would never know he went through what he did,” his father says. The Harberts are long-time supporters of the House, participating in local events around Orange County and making Meals of Love for families whenever they can.