Rev. Jesse Jackson recovering in the hospital after 'successful' surgery

CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 2/1/2021, 1:27 p.m.
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson is recovering from surgery after being hospitalized for abdominal discomfort.
Jesse Jackson in 2020 in New York City. Credit: Jason Mendez/Getty Images

By Nicquel Terry Ellis

(CNN) -- Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson is recovering from surgery after being hospitalized for abdominal discomfort.

Jackson, 79, was recently admitted to the hospital where he received routine medical observation and "successful" surgery, according to a statement from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Chicago-based organization that Jackson heads. Jackson is now resting.

"He is in good spirits and will be discharged in a few days," the statement read. "Thank you for your continued love, support, and prayers."

There were no further details about Jackson's condition released.

Jackson was diagnosed in 2017 with Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder with no cure. At the time, Jackson said his diagnosis was "a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the disease's progression."

Jackson, a two-time Democratic presidential candidate, is an icon of the civil rights movement and worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr.

His son Jesse Jr. is a former US congressman who represented Illinois 2nd District.

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