Michael Jackson may need lung transplant

Over the years, singer Michael Jackson's appearance has gone from scary to downright alarming. And now it seems as though his health is in serious decline, caused by a rare genetic disease that has left him half blind and in need of a lung transplant.

According to Jackson's biographer Ian Halperin, the 50-year-old self-proclaimed 'King Of Pop' is suffering from a sometimes fatal condition known as Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency.

"He's had it for years, but it's gotten worse," Halperin said. "He needs a lung transplant but may be too weak to go through with it. He also has emphysema and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, which his doctors have had a lot of trouble stopping. It's the bleeding that is the most problematic part. It could kill him."

Halperin added: "He can barely speak. The vision in his left eye is 95 percent gone. For years Michael has been working with his doctors to make sure it doesn't progress. He has been on many medications that have stabilised him."

Earlier this year, there was talk of a 2009 Jackson 5 reunion tour, but Michael nixed such plans before they even got off the ground.

Source: The Sun