Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease

Rev. Jesse Jackson announced he has Parkinson’s disease in a statement on Twitter Friday.

Jackson, 76, said that the diagnosis came after he began finding it “increasingly difficult to perform routine tasks.”

“My family and I began to notice changes about three years ago,” he said.

He said he resisted seeing a doctor so as not to interrupt his work, but finally gave in after his “daily physical struggles intensified.”

“After a battery of tests, my physicians identified the issue as Parkinson’s disease, a disease that bested my father,” the reverend said in the announcement on his health.

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He explained how he has struggled to accept the implications of his diagnosis.

“Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it,” he said.

But he vowed to press through the disease to the best of his ability.

“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.”

He said he will also dedicate his remaining years to help find a cure for the disease affecting 60 million Americans every year.

He said he will also continue writing a memoir.

“I steadfastly affirm that I would rather wear out than rust out,” he said.

“Keep hope alive!” he ended the letter.