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Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson is reportedly on a form of life support to stabilize his blood pressure, a family source confirmed to CNN on Sunday (November 16).
Jackson, 84, has received treatment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for several days and his medical team is attempting to wean him off of medication, CBS News reported. The civil rights leader was reported to have occasional moments of awareness but is said to be weakening steadily.
Jackson was recently diagnosed with the neurodegenerative condition progressive supranuclear palsy, which is similar to Parkinson's, which Jackson had been diagnosed with in 2017. The activist's Rainbow/PUSH organization had previously confirmed his hospitalization on Thursday (November 13).
"We are grateful for the medical team at Northwestern Hospital," the Rainbow PUSH Coalition said in a statement after Jackson was hospitalized last week via ABC News. "They will continue to monitor his progress and well-being to ensure the best possible care and support."
"The family is grateful for all the well-wishes and prayers," the statement added.
Jackson began as a young protégé to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement and maintained his status as a prominent civil rights leader for more than seven decades, having served as a shadow delegate and senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997.