Payton's Condition Stabilized

The condition of ailing Chicago Bears great Walter Payton has stabilized and he is sleeping better, an aide said Tuesday.

The Hall of Fame running back, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, had been experiencing increased fatigue and nausea at mealtime until last week when his condition "leveled off," said Ginny Quirk, vice president of Walter Payton Enterprises Inc.

"It has stabilized, the doctors gave us official word of that Thursday," she said. She said Payton continues to live in his South Barrington home and has had less trouble sleeping lately.

Payton is suffering from a rare liver disease and needs a transplant. A number of friends have offered their planes to fly him to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on an emergency basis when a liver is available.

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