Ex-IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di’Anno, who is currently in Croatia awaiting three major surgeries on his knees, will have the remaining costs of his treatment funded by his former IRON MAIDEN band-mates.
Earlier today (Monday, June 20), Kastro Pergjoni, operations director of the Cart & Horses pub in Stratford, London, England where IRON MAIDEN made its live debut in 1976, who recently raised thousands of dollars so Di’Anno can undergo his long-delayed knee surgery, took to the Cart & Horses Facebook Page to share the following message: “I am very excited to announce that the IRON MAIDEN team have kindly agreed to cover the remaining cost of Paul Di’Anno‘s operation. Not only are IRON MAIDEN the best band on this planet, they are kind-hearted and supported by an amazing team. As a result of this fantastic news, I will be closing the fundraising on the 21st June 2022.”
Over the weekend, Stjepan Juras, a MAIDEN fan and author of many MAIDEN-related books, who is taking care of Paul while he has been receiving physiotherapy and lymphatic drainage treatments in Croatia, revealed on Facebook that the 64-year-old singer will undergo three operations over two days in July. The procedures will be followed by a period of hospital recovery, intensive care and rehabilitation, including re-learning of walking. If all goes well, Paul should be able to walk fully by the end of 2022. However, if the set of treatments fails, then a leg amputation will be the only option.
Last month, Di’Anno came face to face with MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris for the first time in three decades before the band’s concert in Croatia. Harris, whose group kicked off the 2022 leg of its “Legacy Of The Beast” world tour at the 22,000-capacity Arena Zagreb, came out before the show to greet a wheelchair-bound Di’Anno and chat with him for a few minutes. After his friendly meeting with Harris, Di’Anno stuck around long enough to watch some of MAIDEN‘s performance before leaving near the end of the set to avoid a huge traffic jam after the show.