SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - You probably don't know Encinitas resident Carol Areas, but you may have seen her words of encouragement scattered thorough San Diego.
Ten years ago, she and her son began writing positive messages on rocks and leaving them around the city. Now they receive messages of people making their own rocks around the world.
When Areas learned her son had Asperger's, she was compelled to start a new project, the Love it Forward List.
"I felt the need to connect with people, to receive love, to know people are caring," said Areas.
Whenever she hears someone is going through a hard time, she rally's volunteers to send them some love.
"Five years now writing snail mails! I love that!" said Areas.
So when she learned about 5-year-old Noah Avery and his 7-year-old sister Kalea, she called on her army of comfort warriors.
"The moment I heard about this story, I thought we had to do a campaign for them," said Areas.
In June of 2018, Kalea was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a cancerous brain tumor.
"Thirteen days after we were told our daughter had a brain tumor, we were told our son Noah had a brain tumor," recalls their mother, Nohea Avery.
There are only a handful of cases known of siblings being diagnosed with this cancer, doctors say. And Nohea says her doctors don't know any cases of siblings being diagnosed at the same time.
"To have two, you kind of just, you go into survival mode. I always tell people well, we don't have a choice. You wake up every day, and you show up for them every day, and you kind of just, one foot in front of another," said Nohea.
This summer, both kids were in remission, but then doctors found a small tumor in Noah's brain.
They're traveling to Rady Children's Hospital each week from Los Angeles for proton radiation.
But Nohea says throughout every challenge, complete strangers like Areas have shown up along the way.
"It's encouraging, and it motivates us, especially on those days that are really hard, because there are days that are really, really hard, it just makes it a little easier."
Areas asks the community to send words of encouragement to the family or to send something through the Amazon Wishlist she created.
If you'd like to send a card to the family, email Areas at loveitforwardlist@gmail.com
