Rev. Jesse Jackson Recovering from Surgery After Being Hospitalized for 'Abdominal Discomfort'

Rev. Jesse Jackson is on the mend after being hospitalized for abdominal discomfort.

The civil rights leader, 79, was recently admitted to the hospital where he received "routine medical observation" and underwent "successful" surgery, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson's Chicago-based nonprofit organization, announced in a statement.

Jackson is now resting at the hospital, the organization said.

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

No further details about Jackson's health have been released.

Jackson, who marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in civil rights demonstrations and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, announced in November 2017 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

"My family and I began to notice changes about three years ago," he wrote in a statement according to CNN. "After a battery of tests, my physicians identified the issue as Parkinson's disease, a disease that bested my father."

"Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it," added the two-time presidential candidate. "For me, a Parkinson's diagnosis is not a stop sign but rather a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the disease's progression."

Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder with no cure. Symptoms include tremors, stiffness and difficulty balancing, walking and coordinating movement.

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At the time, Jackson said he believed his diagnosis would give him "new opportunities to serve."

"This diagnosis is personal but it is more than that. It is an opportunity for me to use my voice to help in finding a cure for a disease that afflicts 7 to 10 million worldwide," Jackson said, noting that about 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's every year.

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