ORANGE PARK — Amid his condition, 16-year-old Tad Lawrence was as radiant and buoyant as they come.

His mother Kathy Lawrence still has memories of his smile, love and caring spirit. And if the day was long, she always knew that he would find a way to make it better.

Though it's been 24 years since his untimely passing, it's still important for her to make sure others remember him, too. That includes using his story to help the community.

"Keeping your child's memory alive is just so important," Kathy said.

That's why she started Tad's Toys, a nonprofit dedicated to putting that same smile and contagious spirit that Tad once had on the young faces of others.

Every year, around 75 to 100 children from across the county are given special gifts to celebrate the holiday season. Christmas was Tad's favorite time of year, Kathy said.

He had a strong penchant for celebrations and making people happy, even throughout his illness.

Tad was a premature baby born with cystic fibrosis. He fought many odds just to survive, Kathy said. And by the time he was a student at Orange Park High he became vice class president.

"He did a lot of things that she was told he would never be able to do when he was first born," said Tad's Toys Board Member Susan McInarnay.

Tad died from complications with the condition in 2003.  Kathy said she chooses to continue remembering her son for his joyous smile and gracious attitude that always seemed to bring light to those that he touched.

Tad's Toys, marked with Tad's signature blue bear, benefits local children living in nontraditional homes. While foster families get state funding, Kathy said nontraditional families, like relative placements, often lack sufficient resources and financial help. That's where the nonprofit steps in.

"I've seen a lot of great grandparents that have gotten kids overnight. They're living on retirement and then they're very worried about Christmas, birthdays and that kind of thing."

Each child gets three gifts. Social workers and counselors, Kathy said, work with selected children to put together a list of some of their preferences and dream toys — like bikes, Barbies and board games.

Every December at Orange Park Elementary, where Tad once was a student, families show up to not only receive their gifts, but meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, interact with Star Wars Stormtroopers, decorate crafts and enjoy refreshments. Each brand-new gift is presented in Christmas bags for the children to take home.

"We're not just giving them presents, we're celebrating them as well. We're celebrating these families that are just struggling. Because everybody struggles sometimes."

"It's nice memories," she added. "It's a way of using his story to help the community."

Funds for the program are raised strictly through donations, McInarnay said, whether that be money from local clubs or organizations, or time from volunteers who sponsor a child and help shop for their wish list.

Kathy said their focus is mainly on elementary-aged children.  And since its inception in 2021, the program has grown immensely.

"People know about it and they're starting to depend on it."

It took Kathy many years to figure out how she wanted to memorialize her son. She just knew that she wanted to find the right thing to do.

"We knew that he would want to do something for kids that didn't have anything or had very little. And when you think about kids, you think about Christmas or their birthdays," McInarnay said.

During his time at Wolfson Children's Hospital, Tad never met a stranger. Whether it be doctors, nurses, custodians and other patients, Kathy said he always found a way to connect. And despite the circumstances, his magnetic personality brought people together. Kathy said he even became the unofficial goodwill ambassador for the hospital, meeting celebrities like Tom Brokaw and James Earl Jones.

On what would've been his 40th birthday, the nonprofit will be hosting a fundraiser on Oct. 20. From 4-8 p.m., the public is invited to come out to the Middleburg Culver's, 1767 Blanding Blvd., to learn more about the nonprofit and donate to a good cause.

Tad's Toys, she said, is something that she knows her son would've been proud of.

"He would love it. My problem would be is he'd be trying to buy everybody extra stuff," she said.