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Is Jesse Jackson on life support after hospitalization? Family gives crucial health update
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. remains in stable condition in the hospital, having been admitted for observation of PSP. His family gives health update.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., 84, remains hospitalized but is in stable condition, his family confirmed in a statement on November 16. Jackson was admitted on November 12 for observation due to progressive supranuclear palsy, according to a statement from his organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
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Jesse Jackson's family provides health update
In a November 16 statement, Jackson's family addressed false reports that the civil rights icon was on life support, confirming that he is breathing without any support from machines at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, as reported by USA Today.
His son, Yusef Jackson, said, “In fact, today he called for 2,000 churches to prepare 2,000 baskets of food to prevent malnutrition during the holiday season."
Jackson, an ordained Baptist minister, emerged as a leading voice in the 1960s civil rights movement and was a protégé of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He made two unsuccessful bids for the Democratic presidential nomination, in 1984 and 1988, and founded the civil rights organizations Operation PUSH and the Rainbow Coalition, which later merged.
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What is progressive supranuclear palsy?
In 2017, Jackson revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease two years prior. However, last April, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition confirmed that his condition is actually progressive supranuclear palsy.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke(NINDS), Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare neurological condition that affects body movement, balance, walking, and eye coordination. PSP typically progresses quickly and can result in serious complications, including pneumonia, choking, or head injuries from falls.
Although PSP differs from Parkinson's disease, the two conditions share some similar symptoms. PSP usually develops later in life than the onset of Parkinson's disease.
