STRYPER Guitarist OZ FOX Has Two Tumors; Wife Asks For Prayer And Donations

Doctors who have been treating STRYPER guitarist Oz Fox since his onstage collapse last weekend have found two masses in his head — one by his ear and the other in the back of his brain.

Oz's wife, Annie Lobért, wrote in a Facebook post that doctors told Fox the tumor behind the ear isn't as worrisome as the tumor on his brain. They told him, she said, that they could operate and do a biopsy or wait to see if the growth on his brain grows.

According to Annie, Oz has decided to be operated on because he "wants his quality of life back, and wants to find out what it is."

She asked fans to keep praying "serious, strategic prayer.

"Please pray for this mass to NOT be cancerous, and that he will recover quickly!" Lobért wrote.

She also asked for prayer for the doctor to have wisdom and for her "hands to be steady & her mind to be sharp.

"We don't want to be in fear... we believe that God has a plan for this even though this is a serious & life altering trial!" she added.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help pay Fox's medical bills. Annie explained that, "at this time, the procedures that need to be done will not be covered on insurance." Lobért went on to say that she and her husband are attempting to get the procedures covered but in the meantime the bills are piling up "at an enormous rate." She wrote: "We don't know how much the brain biopsies will cost, nor what will happen when we get the results back — whether he will need more surgery to remove any tumors or treatment plans for healing."

According to Annie, "Oz cannot drive, fly or work for three months because of the potential seizures." Furthermore, STRYPER has had to cancel its Japanese shows because Oz cannot perform due to his medical condition.

STRYPER's Australian tour, which is scheduled to kick off on Friday, August 17, will go ahead without Fox.

The band's frontman, Michael Sweet, said in a Facebook post that he's been friends with Oz since he was "almost 13 years old. We've been a 'duo' for almost our entire lives and I love him," he wrote. "He's family and a brother to me... We're all waiting to hear good news and we're all praying deeply for that.

"The important thing right now is Oz's health and well being," Sweet added. "Please continue to pray for him at this time. Pray for Annie and his family as well."

Formed 35 years ago, STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen" and the band's latest effort, "God Damn Evil".