Eric De La Cruz, the 27-year-old whose need for a heart transplant inspired Trent Reznor to raise over $800,000, died Saturday, July 4th from his condition, severe dilated cardiomyopathy. The Nine Inch Nails fan was never able to regain his health to get the transplant.

The campaign to save De La Cruz was started after his sister, Veronica, a former CNN anchor, made pleas via the media and her Twitter account for help. Eric's need for a new heart was denied by Nevada Medicaid and private insurance companies, so it appeared his only hopes were to either get on Federal Medicare, which initially denied his request, or to pay for the highly expensive procedure out of pocket.

Veronica's quest for donations eventually caught the eye of Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, who took to his Twitter feed to encourage fans to help out. He then offered backstage passes and other rewards via the Nine Inch Nails official Website, which brought in over $850,000.

Unfortunately, despite the money and being approved for Medicare, the transplant never happened due to Eric's continued declining health. In a letter addressed to "Eric's Twitter Army," Veronica wrote, "It is with the heaviest heart that I write this, my beautiful and beloved little brother Eric De La Cruz has passed away. He died yesterday, July 4, 2009, sometime between 2:20 pm and 2:35 pm. Both my mother and I have been so overcome with grief and sadness, we couldn't bear to put the message out, so until now we shared it with only Eric's closest friends and relatives." Funeral arrangements are still pending and Veronica pledges to continue working on his behalf and spreading awareness of others in need of transplants.