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CHICAGO — The family of civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson provided an update on his health status Sunday, as he remains under medical care at a Chicago hospital.
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According to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday.
The 81-year-old activist is being treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for a rare neurological disorder that impairs movement and balance. Family members have assured ABC7 that he is in stable condition and surrounded by loved ones.
In an effort to dispel inaccurate media reports, the family released a statement on Sunday: “The family of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., wants to clarify his current medical condition. Reverend Jackson is stable, breathing on his own, and under medical supervision as he battles progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurological disorder diagnosed in April. Contrary to certain reports, he is not on life support.”
His son, Yusef Jackson, added that his father remains active, stating, “Today, he called for 2,000 churches to prepare 2,000 baskets of food to combat malnutrition during the holiday season.”
“The family is grateful for the dedicated medical team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where Reverend Jackson is receiving appropriate treatment. The Jackson family extends heartfelt appreciation for the many prayers and kind messages offered during this time.”
Relatives spoke more about his condition on Thursday.
Rainbow PUSH held its weekly forum on Saturday, where loved ones prayed for Rev. Jackson.
It was believed Jackson had Parkinson’s disease, but officials with Rainbow PUSH said he was diagnosed in April 2025 with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative disease.
The 84-year-old gained national attention in the 1960s as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s protégé. Jackson spent more than 60 years advocating for racial equality and economic justice. He ran for U.S. president in 1984 and 1988.
He helped to found the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an organization dedicated to social justice. He spent nearly three decades leading Rainbow PUSH before stepping down in 2023.
Rev. Jackson’s family said earlier this week that doctors were monitoring his progress.
What is PSP?
Dr. Jori Fleisher, a neurologist at Rush University Medical Center, said PSP is also known as “Parkinson’s plus,” or an atypical Parkinson’s condition.
“People have this unusual tendency in PSP to fall backwards,” Dr. Fleisher explained. “It’s almost like they are just standing still and they are kind of pushed backwards.”
Dr. Behzad Elahi is a neurologist at UChicago Medicine. He is not working on Rev. Jackson’s case, but described the disease as part of the same family as Parkinson’s, but is more rare and more advanced, and it affects chewing, swallowing and balance. It is a disease where those closest to the patient must keep close watch.
“Less than 10% of those with Parkinsonism with or Parkinson disease will be diagnosed with PSP,” Dr. Elahi said. “The family is everything. Currently, we don’t have a cure for the disease. We have some medication that can help with some symptoms, but we currently don’t have any cure.”
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare brain disease that affects walking, balance, eye movements and swallowing, according to the Mayo Clinic.
PSP is also known as Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome.
The cause of PSP isn’t known, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms come from the damage of brain cells.
The only proven risk factor for progressive supranuclear palsy is age, according to the Mayo Clinic.
