— Ashley Linden, the creator of Rocks for Hope, died Sunday night following a battle with cancer.

Linden, from Raeford, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, a neuroendocrine tumor, five years ago. She died Sunday surrounded by her family.

Linden coped with her cancer diagnosis by leaving hand-painted rocks with inspirational messages around the Duke Cancer Center for patients to find. Now, her Rocks of Hope initiative has spread across the world.

Linden, a mother of three, entered hospice care in mid-2018. In an interview with WRAL, she said she hoped her journey will be her legacy for her children.

"I want them to be able to become someone that’s going to inspire people and look out for people in the future, in their own way,” she said.

Linden's rocks have traveled across the country as people pay it forward and leave them for others who may need hope. Several of her inspirational rocks were left in the WRAL Gardens to spread hope to anyone who may be struggling.