Meet our dad, Jack.
He was free spirited before it was a trend and most importantly, taught us how to live fully with our hearts wide open. You could catch him at Peet’s Coffee every Saturday sharing tales of his adventures like the time he had beers with the Jamaican bobsled team in Germany. He fell in love in Australia and raised us and our brother, Nik, between Sweden and the Bay Area. He’ll always be our ‘kuhl dad’.
About FTD
In 2022, Jack received a diagnosis: FTD. It had been quietly stealing pieces of him since 2015. Frontotemporal Dementia is the most common form of dementia for those under 60 and manifests in a variety of ways, making it challenging to diagnose. Some common symptoms include changes in personality, behavior and language abilities. Currently, it takes over three years for an accurate diagnosis.
The project: Coolmud
We knew he needed a creative outlet after his diagnosis and signed him up for art classes. Since then, it’s been his new language from prints in different mediums to charcoal portraits and acrylic landscapes. While Jack’s abilities have shifted over the past few years, we’ve come to appreciate his art even more in this new chapter. This project is our way of sharing his art with you and we aim to spread awareness of FTD along the way.
By supporting this project, you're not just buying art; you're funding FTD research, supporting Jack’s cost of living and shining a light on this too-often invisible disease.
This is Coolmud, born from a German mispronunciation, a license plate, a password, and now, a tribute.
Thank you to friends and family who have supported him in getting to and facilitating his ongoing classes. Your kindness is something we’ll always remember.
Erika + Linnea
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FTD is a group of brain diseases that affect behavior, personality, language, and sometimes movement. Unlike Alzheimer's which focuses on memory loss, FTD can strike people in their prime working years or while raising families. It's often misdiagnosed, but early diagnosis can connect families with promising new treatments currently being researched. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) is dedicated to raising awareness and supporting research.
Learn more about FTD here.
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The cool artwork on the shirts is all created by Jack and his immediate family! We've adapted the designs to fit on the shirts.
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We're new here, so patience is appreciated! You can expect your order to arrive sometime in January.
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Because we're a small operation, pre-orders help us gauge demand to inform our manufacturer and ensure we have enough shirts for everyone.
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After covering production costs, all remaining profits are split 50/50. Half goes to support Jack's daily care, and the other half goes to AFTD to fund vital research efforts.
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Due to the small scale of our production and designs being ‘made to order’, we are unable to accept returns or exchanges. Please carefully review your order before checkout.
Know the signs. Show support.
By supporting this project, you're not just buying art; you're funding FTD research, supporting Jack’s cost of living and shining a light on this too-often invisible disease.