After nearly two weeks spent hospitalized for a rare neurological disorder, the Rev. Jesse Jackson has been discharged from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to his family.
The civil rights leader and Rainbow/PUSH coalition founder had been under observation at Northwestern since Nov. 12 for progressive supranuclear palsy or PSP.
The Jackson family announced the reverend’s discharge in a statement Monday issued by Rainbow/PUSH. His condition remains stable, they said.
“Our family would like to thank the countless friends and supporters who have reached out, visited and prayed for our father,” Jackson’s son Yusef Jackson said in the statement.
The announcement comes days after Jackson, 84, welcomed a visit from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a week after he was moved out of intensive care.
For over half a century, Jackson has been one of the nation’s foremost civil rights leaders and a central figure in national politics, twice running for president.
This is the latest in a series of health setbacks that Jackson has experienced in recent years. In 2013, Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. However, his diagnosis changed to PSP in April.
PSP is a rare neurological disorder caused by damage to nerve cells in the brain that affects body movements, walking, balance and eye movements, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
In recent months, Jackson’s relatives, including sons U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson and Jesse Jackson Jr., a former Illinois congressman who recently announced he was seeking office again, have been providing him 24-hour care in shifts, The Associated Press reported.
“We humbly ask for your continued prayers throughout this precious time,” Yusef Jackson said Monday.
