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.