LONDON (Associated Press) — The real life Lucy from the Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" has died after a long fight against lupus.

The death of Lucy Vodden at age 46 has been announced by St. Thomas' Hospital in London, where she was treated.

The hospital said Monday she died after battling the disease for years.

Vodden came to the attention of John Lennon when the Beatles' young son Julian came home from school one day with a drawing that he said was "Lucy in the sky with diamonds."

The elder Lennon turned it into a psychedelic masterpiece long associated with LSD use.

Julian Lennon reached out to Vodden in recent years as she suffered from the disease.

Lupus is a chronic illness during which the immune system attacks the body's own tissue.