Many of you folks know or have heard of Jackson Cunningham, but I'm sure some of you are hearing his name for the first time. Let me share a bit of Jackson's background.

Jackson Cunningham is a world class builder of stringed instruments from Mouth of Wilson, Virginia in the beautiful Blueridge Mountains near the North Carolina border. For over 25 years he has devoted much of his life to creating extraordinary acoustic stringed instruments - fiddles, banjos, and especially guitars, with a focus on recreating the golden era of Gibson flattop and archtop guitars of the 1920s through the 1940s. Jackson is also a skilled multi-instrumentalist who has toured much of the United States and world, particularly Australia where he has become a fixture in the Old-Time and Bluegrass community down under.

Among musicians and acoustic guitar aficionados, Jackson is widely considered one of the finest guitar makers in the world. In his one man shop, Jackson hand builds replicas of much loved 1930s and '40s era Gibson flattop models, as well as stunning recreations of 1920s Gibson L-5 archtop guitars (one of which I am proud to own) and other archtop models. Whether it is a flattop or an archtop model, Jackson's guitars are treasured for their tone, craftsmanship, superb playability and historical accuracy. His guitars and other stringed instruments are played and loved by some of the finest musicians in the world and are praised by vintage guitar experts such as Mark Stutman of Folkway Music in Ontario, Canada and George Gruhn of Gruhn Guitars in Nashville. His dedication to the art of guitar making is truly a labor of love!

In mid-December while making a batch of metal archtop guitar tailpieces in his shop, Jackson noticed pain in his right eye and his vision was becoming blurry, blotchy and dim. Assuming it was eye strain due to overwork, he hoped it would resolve on its own with rest. On December 20 Jackson felt good enough to drive to Knoxville, Tennessee to pick up his girlfriend Kat from the airport. Unfortunately the eye problem worsened and by December 22 he went to a local doctor and was prescribed a round of steroids to hopefully get his vision back on track. On December 23 Jackson was feeling worse yet and went to the ER where they determined Jackson has Optic Neuritis - a very serious eye condition. Further testing revealed lesions on his brain and spinal column, and on Christmas Eve Jackson was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

The hospitals and medical centers near Jackson's home are smaller facilities, so his girlfriend Kat who is visiting from Australia, drove him to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville - about a 4 hour drive.

Despite initial treatment with steroids, Jackson’s eye condition deteriorated rapidly. Within two days, he was totally blind in his right eye with no light or shape perception at all. The doctors told Jackson that the optic neuritis was brought on by the MS.

This devastating diagnosis came on top of an already difficult medical history. Jackson has battled severe Crohn’s disease for many years. After years of trying to find a drug that would relieve the Crohn's symptoms without nasty side effects, he was prescribed a certain medication that had successfully put his Crohn’s into remission for the past couple of years. Doctors now believe that the Crohn's medication side effects may have contributed to the onset of his MS. As a result, they have stopped that medication and are now searching for an alternative that will not worsen both conditions. So far, Jackson has spent over one month in the hospital.

Finding a path to move forward with Jackson's MS treatment will be a difficult and complicated process, as the disease can cause a very broad list of brain function deficits. Jackson just completed plasma exchange therapy at the hospital where his blood is drawn, separated by a machine to remove harmful plasma, and replaced with a substitute fluid before the blood is returned. This therapy can provide symptom relief for severe diseases.

His overall prognosis in regards to his MS, Optic Neuritis, Crohn's Disease, and other potential future issues remains uncertain. Finding the best path to move forward with Jackson's MS treatment will be a difficult and complicated process, as the disease can cause a very broad list of brain function deficits. There is hope that treatments may improve the optic neuritis, however doctors have made it clear that a 100 percent vision recovery is unlikely. At his own expense of a few thousand dollars, Jackson had all his lab work and medical records transferred from the University of Virginia Medical Center to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio (which is one of the best medical centers in the world) where they will examine everything for a second opinion regarding his treatment strategy. Jackson has been released from the hospital for now and he and Kat are staying at a generous friend's AirBnB in Asheville, North Carolina, as Jackson’s rural mountain home in Virginia can be difficult to access during winter weather.

Let's all join together to offer Jackson a helping hand!

Jackson is well known for being a friendly, kind, and positive member of our musical family, who has stepped up countless times to offer a helping hand to his local community, as well as the musical community. He has even generously donated his own handmade guitars to benefit worthy causes.

Besides the gut punch Jackson is dealing with health wise, the daunting financial burdens are impossible to ignore. Our hopes for this GoFundMe are to give Jackson financial relief to help pay his medical bills and other expenses, and give him some peace of mind from worrying as much about money while regaining his health. Most of us who love traditional music and are blessed with the good fortune to make a living doing what we love, also understand that while you can get rich from the many wonderful experiences, friendships and accomplishments, most of us don't get rich monetarily. Jackson is a very hard worker and has earned a good living. However the financial burden and stress he is facing is daunting.

I've seen many times the generosity of the music community and other folks to band together to help a fellow artist in need. Jackson's path to recovery will be a long hard road and the outcome remains uncertain. His spirits are hopeful and he remains optimistic he can continue to work as a luthier. Building instruments is Jackson's main source of income, and has been for over 25 years. The mounting medical bills, ER visits, travel expenses, and loss of income have already depleted his savings. Kat (who has been a rock star during all this) has taken a leave of absence from her job in Australia and has incurred a few thousand dollars in credit card debt. Doctors told Jackson that if his treatment and recovery go nearly perfect, he is still looking at 6-8 months of being unable to work. They also said that the time frame for recovering well enough to work again could be much longer. They do know he will be on two biologic immune treatments for the rest of his life. It's a wait and see situation depending on his MS symptoms, Optic Neuritis, and also trying to re-manage his Crohn's disease. Yet, despite the bad hand of cards he was dealt, Jackson is staying as positive as he can and is ready to fight like hell!

On a personal note, Jackson is one of my very closest friends! We have talked for countless hours over the years discussing nerdy details about old Gibson guitars, talking enthusiastically about obsolete music, our favorite dead musicians, as well as lots of other less important subjects! Sherry and I have been super saddened upon hearing Jackson's health news, and I'm sure many of y'all feel the same way.

Guitar great and often my Western Flyers bandmate Redd Volkaert (who is also a good friend of Jackson's and a newly crowned Cunningham guitar owner!) and I are teaming up to run this GoFundMe campaign. We are asking that this effort be shared far and wide! We will make sure that everything is handled with care and transparency. Understandably, Jackson will not be responding to messages right now, as he needs time to focus on the best way to move forward. Feel free to leave messages here, and we'll make sure he sees everyone's kindness.

Any amount is greatly appreciated whether it be a few dollars, or if you have the means to contribute a larger amount. If you are unable to assist monitarilly, your prayers, thoughts, and messages of encouragement are also greatly appreciated.

WE ALL BELIEVE JACKSON WILL WIN THIS BATTLE!!!

Jackson is a fighter, tough as a boot, and determined to put in the hard work to get past all this. Let's all join together to help as he negotiates his road to recovery!

Joey McKenzie & Redd Volkaert

To hear a couple of Cunningham guitars in action, click below!

https://youtu.be/2gRi8WbqoLQ

A note from Sherry McKenzie: GoFundMe only takes a minimal percentage. For example, on a $100 donation, the fee is $3.20, leaving $96.80 for the beneficiary. Using this platform is the easiest, safest way to help right now and support will reach Jackson quickly and securely. FYI: The tipping option to GFM at checkout is not mandatory - however it is often PRESET, so during the checkout process, you can adjust the 'tipping' percentage by simply sliding the percentage slider to 0% or select other and enter $0 before completing your donation. If you have a question about this effort or donation process please reach out!