Rev. Jesse Jackson released from Chicago hospital
by Sheri Walsh · UPINov. 24 (UPI) -- Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson was released from the hospital Monday, his family announced, after spending nearly a week in the intensive care unit.
Jackson, 84, was hospitalized for 12 days at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he underwent care for progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurological condition that affects balance, walking and speech. The Rainbow PUSH Organization said Jackson was receiving treatment to manage his blood pressure.
"Our family would like to thank the countless friends and supporters who have reached out, visited and prayed for our father," said Yusef Jackson, son and family spokesperson.
"We bear witness to the fact that prayer works and would also like to thank the professional, caring and amazing medical and security staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. We humbly ask for your continued prayers throughout this precious time."
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Jackson was admitted to the hospital on Nov. 12, and was moved out of intensive care five days later.
Last week, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Jackson in the hospital.
Jackson became a symbol of civil rights activism in Chicago during the 1960s, through his work with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000 by former President Clinton.
Over the past decade, Jackson has been suffering with PSP, but the neurological condition was not diagnosed until April after he had been misdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
PSP, which is rare, gets progressively worse with no cure. The symptoms include trouble with walking and balance, abnormal speech, memory problems, tremor and difficulty with eye movement.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, one in 20,000 people has PSP but only one in 100,000 is diagnosed with the neurological disorder every year.