Joe Jackson Is Stable, But 'Not Out of the Woods' Following Stroke
After suffering a stroke just before his 87th birthday party in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Joe Jackson is in stable condition, but still not quite ready to go home. The Jackson family patriarch reportedly suffered three heart attacks, was fitted with a pacemaker and lost his vision in the last 48 hours, according to a family representative.
Jackson temporarily went blind after an artery burst behind his eye while he was hospitalized on Sunday, the rep confirms, and his heart stopped three times. On Monday, doctors put in a permanent pacemaker and have been monitoring him closely in the intensive care unit at Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo. As of Tuesday, Jackson has regained his sight and remains in good spirits — even cracking jokes from his hospital bed, according to TMZ — but his rep says he is "not out of the woods yet."
Meanwhile, Jackson's family, including Janet Jackson, who has put preparations for her upcoming world tour on hold, are gathering in Sao Paulo to be at his side. According to the rep, 10 members of the Jackson family are in the Brazilian city or on their way there.
No word on how long Jackson will have to recover in Brazil before he's allowed to return home to Los Angeles.
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(Photo: AP Photo/Thibault Camus, file)
