The holiday season often seems synonyms with stockings hung from fireplaces and wrapped presents topped with bows. But that picture doesn’t always reflect reality — specifically for families grappling with the effects of chronic illness.

Tyler Hartman, 16, of Jim Thorpe, wanted to do something about that.

Hartman has volunteered with Turn to Us Inc., a nonprofit in Carbon County geared toward helping families affected by chronic illness, for about two years. Originally, the Jim Thorpe Area High School junior was only asked to help wrap gifts, but Hartman felt like he could do more and decided to start a gift drive as well.

“I just put everything together,” Hartman said. “My parents helped me get all I needed to get, and I just did it.”

But Hartman’s collection is more than just an accumulation of gifts; it’s a personal endeavor, too. Last year, just a few days before Christmas, his mother was diagnosed with a tumor in her stomach, and while Hartman and his family were still able to share gifts, he knows that some aren’t so lucky.

“It’s not just like a toy drive for just people that are unfortunate, it’s also for people who might not be able to get toys because of their medical bills and stuff,” Hartman said.

“(My mom) purchased gifts for us for Christmas, but sometimes other families can’t do that,” he added. “I thought I’d help them out if they can’t afford them because of medical bills, or because they’re in the hospital, so the kids or the adults can have a good Christmas.”

As of four months ago, Hartman said, his mother is cancer-free.

The gift drive began Nov. 18 and will go on until Dec. 5. The collection is open to gifts for adults or toys for children. All of the presents collected will be wrapped and distributed among families registered with Turn to Us Inc. based in Jim Thorpe.

Hartman said his goal is to collect at least 200 gifts through the area schools and the community.

To advertise his gift drive, Hartman placed fliers and ornately wrapped boxes in different parts of the community, starting with the Jim Thorpe area schools. He also placed a box in the Jim Thorpe Market, in the Mauch Chunk 5 & 10 store on Broadway, at the Turn to Us Inc. location in Jim Thorpe and at Stadium Hill Cafe in Tamaqua.

When asked why he decided to take charge of a gift drive, Hartman gave a simple answer.

“It’s just — it’s Christmas,” he said.