On August 12, 2025, John Jew Jr. suffered a mild stroke while on vacation with his youngest daughter in Brownsville, Tx. He was taken to the hospital by EMS where it was determined he had bleeding in the brain. He was transferred to a sister hospital in Harlingen, Tx with a superior Neuroscience Institute so that he could receive care by some of the best neurosurgeons South Texas has to offer. He was diagnosed with Arteriovenous Malformation, a condition that he was born with. He was born with a cluster of veins and arteries that were all mismatched and connected together. Over time, this malformation of veins and arteries worsened until there was finally a rupture. The rupture could have happened at any time in his life. The rupture occurred in the speech center of his left brain. This has caused a complete shutdown of his communication abilities. He is unable to talk, write, or type. 

On August 14, 2025, John underwent brain surgery to remove/close the pathways to the malformed arteries and veins in order to redirect the blood flow in his brain. The surgeon was able to remove 90% of the malformation. There was a small 10% that was too risky to remove. Removal could have caused more severe damage to his brain. The surgeons are hopeful that the remaining pathways will die on their own. John will require multiple follow up Angiograms to keep a close eye on the remaining AVM to ensure there are no future bleeds. 

John is currently in the ICU at Valley Baptist Hospital in Harlingen, Tx where he is receiving the best care by a team of Neuro specialists. We are truly blessed that if this had to happen, it happened in the Valley of South Texas. We are so grateful for the quality of care he has received. He will remain in the ICU for a few more days and then will be transferred to the Stroke unit of Valley Baptist, Harlingen. His length of his stay in the stroke unit is undetermined at this time. Once it is determined that that he no longer requires inpatient hospital care, he will be transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation center to begin his rehab journey. 

As of August 15, 2025, John has been on his journey to recovery. He will need to learn how to communicate again (talk, write, type). His care team has wasted no time to begin his speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. He has slight right side paralysis. In his face, and his right arm will need a lot of therapy, but his legs are very strong. His biggest hurdle will be getting his speech back. He has come a long way since day 1 post-op. If you know John, you know how positive and optimistic he is. He is so strong, he is a rock for so many of his loved ones. He will be working hard and stay dedicated to his rehabilitation.

John is a husband, father, son, and friend to so many! Since sharing publicly on FB about John’s circumstances, his wife, Elizabeth Jew, has received a downpour of messages from John’s friends and people whose lives John has touched in some way or another. It has been overwhelming for her to read the hundreds of texts and messages she has received. (If she hasn’t responded to your messages, please give her time )

Elizabeth has not left John’s side for a second. Her assistance to the ICU nursing staff has been invaluable. She has ensured that John is attended to for every single one of his needs and even took on the responsibility of providing his hygienic needs and restroom needs so that he feels more comfortable.  On top of taking care of John, she has also taken on John’s family responsibilities of the finances and bills. Liz and John have always made the best team and one thing they have always shared in common is their love for their children. While this has been a trying time for everyone who knows and loves John, they have five children who are also in pain and need your prayers. Their children, Caitlin, Johann, Jonathon, Jocelyn, and Joy was always their priority since the day their journey together began. Although a blended family, Liz and John never felt blended and always knew that they were right where God intended them to be. For the first 10 years after his youngest daughter was born, John put his career and passion working in film and music aside to be “Mr. Mom” so his children would never be without a parent if they needed one. His children were his reason for his drive, and he made sure that they never went without and were always cared for. He did it all for them. With all that said, the children will get through this scary time, so long as their dad makes it through. 

Every day John gets stronger and stronger. He has already started being able to find his words; it is just a slow process that he will get better at with each passing day. We pray that God gives us all the patience that he needs to have a successful rehabilitation.

The most important thing will be for him to stay calm, and his blood pressure to remain stable. Any stress or spike in his blood pressure could cause additional ruptures. He is still in a delicate state and we have to remember that while he may appear to be doing really well, he is still an at risk patient. 

I, Dalinda Dominguez-Jew (John’s Mom) have taken the burden of asking for financial assistance away from my son’s wife. John and Liz are givers. They do not ask for help and they do not accept help easily. They are the team that helps when people need them and when they face challenges in life they lean on each other for everything. Because of financial circumstances, and the cost of living in central Texas, John is not insured. This was not a irresponsible decision they made, rather it was a very difficult decision  and they chose the most obvious path of making sure they had enough money for their children to pursue their ambitions. They chose to cover all of their children under Liz’ health plan while also providing a comfortable home and everything their children needed. They simply could not afford the additional $500.00 a month to add John to the health plan.

John is a Producer for Penny Rock Productions LLC, and also Directing his first documentary with Penny Rock Productions LLC and TommyPlanet LLC in Austin Tx. However, we do not know the length of time it will take for him to be able to get back to doing what he loves. Film has been his passion since he first moved to Austin in 1995 from Brownsville, Tx. At the time, he also made a mark on the Austin music scene. Now, he continues to be heavily involved in the production of countless music videos for local bands and musicians. His biggest moment that he is most proud of is the production of the documentary, “Bloody and Bruised: The Untold Story of the Backroom”. While he would be okay if that is where his legacy ends, he has a skate board documentary to finish, “The Texas Brigade: Surviving the Grind.” And I have no doubt he will be back at it in due time. God is not done with him yet.

Any financial assistance will be a blessing. Liz and John continue to pray for God’s light to shine the way for them while on this journey. We know that God has a plan for them and this is all a part of his plan. We have complete trust in God and we will forever be thankful for those who he has placed in our path to assist him and his family in ensuring that John recovers under the least amount of stress possible. 

All financial gifts will go towards paying the hefty medical bills until Liz is able to sign John up for any state benefits he is eligible for. Anything extra will help support him and his family in any way they may need. Liz and John are faced with the possibility of having to relocate to South Texas while John continues his recovery and rehabilitation. Any extra support will assist them in these efforts. 

For everyone who has reached out offering care assistance and therapy assistance, your offers have not gone unnoticed. We are making a list of contacts that have offered support and will be reaching out as needed. Everyone’s thoughtful messages have been so heart warming and appreciated. 

They know that God will guide them to be where they are supposed to be. Everyone’s prayers are needed over all else. God has him now. 

Thank you,  The Jew Family ❤️