Joe Jackson's Health Crisis Takes Deadly Turn As New Chest Infection Spreads

Joe Jackson's health has taken a deadly turn, RadarOnline can exclusively report.

According to a close friend of the Jacksons, the 87-year-old has developed a very serious chest infection, and doctors are even telling the famous family to plan funeral arrangements.

Yesterday, Joe posted a very healthy looking photo of himself on his personal website to let his fans know that he was alive and well. But the insider claims the picture "is three years old and it was not posted by Joe. He is barely conscious at the moment."

The clan posted the deceptive snap to keep away the public's prying eyes, the source explains.

The beloved father of 11 and grandfather to 26 has been in the hospital since Monday, when doctors discovered during routine tests that he had an abnormally high temperature of 104 degrees.

"Unless doctors get this chest infection under control and his temperature back to normal, Joe could very well die, just as he could have died in Brazil," the source reveals. "Everyone is just in complete shock right now because they had so much hope yesterday, and today that hope has turned into horror."

As RadarOnline.com reported, Joe's crisis started this past summer, when the father of late King of Pop Michael Jackson suffered a massive heart attack followed by a series of strokes while celebrating his birthday in Brazil.

In the months following, the formerly active music legend has been bedridden and under the constant care of a team of nurses 24/7 at the Calabasas, California, home he shares with his longtime wife, Katherine Jackson, 85.