Liza Cozad-Lauser Has Passed Away

Liza Cozad-Lauser, wife of drummer David Lauser, has ended her fight with cancer, passing away Jan. 4 at home in the company of her loved ones.

Cozad-Lauser's public struggle to obtain access to an experimental treatment for the inoperable tumor on her brainstem made headlines last year, with Lauser's employer Sammy Hagar helping lead an effort to win a special exception from the FDA -- as well as a fundraising drive that included a benefit concert to absorb the family's medical expenses.

Those efforts were ultimately successful, and Cozad-Lauser was granted access to that treatment, but it wasn't enough to save her life. In a message to his mailing list, Lauser shared the painful news of his wife's passing. We've shared a portion below:

I want to let you know that Liza passed away peacefully on Sunday evening, January 4th, 2015.

My daughter, Ella, her good friend, Lisa and I were at Liza's side when she took her last breaths.

Although bed-bound, Liza was alert and spunky the day before. Later that day, she fell into a deep sleep around 5PM and never regained consciousness.

I feel my prayers were answered in that Liza was at home with family, was in no visible pain and that her passing was calm and not drawn out.

I will be planning a "Celebration Of Life" to honor Liza in Marin County and will be in communication regarding the date and location soon.

Lauser spoke with Ultimate Classic Rock about the couple's ordeal in 2013, offering complete honesty about the difficulties of the situation while underscoring their will to fight the good fight with gratitude for the time and support they still had. "It really drives Liza -- it really brightens her day to see how many people are giving her support," he shared. "You really find out what people are made of."

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