Daughter of Rev. Jesse Jackson says he's doing better: "He's ready to go home"
The family of the civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson is providing more details about his condition.
On Sunday, they said that his condition was stabilized and he was breathing without the assistance of machines, but he remains under observation by doctors.
Stepping away from his bedside for a brief moment, Jackson's oldest daughter, Santita Jackson, on Monday said her father is doing much better from the time he was admitted into the hospital last week. She said that he's speaking on his own and is ready to go home.
"As he communicates, sometimes by speech and sometimes by squeezing the hands, he really wants us to continue with the work, and he's ready to go home so that he can be out with the people," she said.
Jackson remains under the care of doctors while managing his progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP, a neurological disorder. Jackson was diagnosed with the disorder back in April. The disease is similar to parkinson's, which Jackson publicly stated he was diagnosed with in 2017.
Sources told CBS News Chicago earlier Sunday that Jackson has been on medication for a few days to keep his blood pressure stable, but his medical team is trying to wean him off the medication.
CBS News Chicago has also learned that friends and family are flying into Chicago from around the country to be by Jackson's side. Saita said there was never a time when her father needed a machine to breathe.
"He has never been on life support. No form of that. He has fought valiantly against a really, really aggressive infection and has turned the corner several days ago. He's made massive improvements every day. Talking, wanting his soft drink I won't name," Santita said.
Rev. Al Sharpton on social media said that he visited Jackson, and also confirmed that he was never on life support.
Santita said she plans to spend the night with her father. She said it's unclear when he'll be released from the hospital.
Rev. Jesse Jackson ran for president in the 1980s and is the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.