Jesse Jackson out of rehabilitation centre after surgery

CHICAGO – The Rev. Jesse Jackson has been discharged from a rehabilitation centre where he spent more than three weeks following an illness and surgery.

The 79-year-old founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, who was hospitalized for eight days earlier this year, said Tuesday he could not walk when transferred to the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab on Feb. 6, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

“Today, I walked out returning home, and work strengthened. I look forward to returning to work to continue to make a difference in racial injustices, and I look forward to the next march,” the civil rights leader said.

Jackson experienced “abdominal discomfort” on Jan. 29 and was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he underwent surgery, according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Jackson’s longtime spokesman Frank Watkins later confirmed it was gallbladder surgery.