As a little kid, Sheryl Handler-Matasar, MD, was fascinated by injuries and broken bones. “I used to put casts on my Barbie® dolls and perform surgery on them. I never wanted to be anything else,” she said. “When I was in high school, I truly fell in love with orthopedics. My mom had a business […]
Akron Children’s continues to expand services in Beachwood
Akron Children’s services in Beachwood are filling an important need by providing timely, pediatric care to children in greater Cleveland. A new Outpatient Surgery Center, located at 3775 Orange Place, Suite 102, opened this summer. The center provides pediatric gastroenterology, orthopedic and otolaryngology surgery, with plans to add pediatric urology in January and pediatric dentistry […]
From full-court dreams to injured reserve: College athlete’s road to recovery
In fall 2023, 18-year-old Samair Colon was living her dream playing college basketball on an athletic scholarship at Southwest Community College in Creston, Iowa, 800 miles away from her hometown of Campbell, OH. But in November 2023, everything came to a screeching halt. “We were in the middle of a game when I went for […]
Orthopedic surgery helps Hudson man achieve military and fitness goals
Jacob Browning knew he wanted to be in the military from a young age. Jacob, who grew up in Hudson, Ohio, admired his grandfather and uncle, who had served in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army, respectively. By the time Jacob entered high school in August, 2008 he had set his sights on […]
Hospital teams pull together for Ezra after a serious accident
Ezra Swartzentruber, an 11-year-old from Wooster, is making a tremendous recovery following serious injuries he sustained after being struck by a car in early February. His recovery is a testament to the outstanding and collaborative care he received at Akron Children’s, including care from our trauma service in emergency medicine, orthopedics, neurosurgery, anesthesiology and […]
Orthopedic surgery corrects musculoskeletal issues for teen with cerebral palsy
Going to an indoor water park was on Alexis Walsh’s birthday bucket list. Alexis, who turned 14 in October, 2023, thought it would be fun, especially riding rafts down the slides with her family. During Christmas break, Alexis fulfilled her wish and enjoyed a mini family vacation to a local water park. The outing was […]













