Mark Matasic

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one of a series of Saturday profiles of area residents and their stories. To suggest a profile, contact features editor Burton Cole at bcole@tribtoday.com or metro editor Marly Reichert at

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CAMPBELL — When Mark Matasic learned his father had a stroke, he jumped into action.

For the year following the March 2015 incident, Mastasic took care of his father, Stephen, until his death a year later.

It was Matasic’s devotion to taking great care of his father, and then advocacy, that earned him the Caregiver Hero Award by the American Stroke Association.

“I was never expecting anything like that to happen,” Matasic said, adding his father was healthy.

Stephen, 65, suffered a stroke in March 2015 at home. Matasic was with him, called for an ambulance and went to the hospital.

While there, Stephen waited 19 hours for life-saving treatment, Matasic said. A blood clot was found in Stephen’s brain stem. Stephen was unresponsive and even crashed during the stay.

Eventually, he was moved to the Cleveland Clinic, where it found Stephen had Locked-In Syndrome, meaning he was awake but was completely paralyzed. He was only able to communicate through eye movement, Matasic said.

Throughout the month-long stay, Matasic held hope. Eventually, Stephen came back to Youngstown at a long-term facility, where Matasic helped take care of his father.

Matasic and his father went to the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago in the summer of 2015, where he said the family is integrated into patient therapy. He learned everything from tube feedings to various therapies that carried over to their Campbell home.

To Matasic, it was just a labor of love to take care of dad. He didn’t think twice of it when they came home that August. Stephen died in March 2016.

“People ask what it was like being a caretaker,” he said. “It was difficult seeing my dad in that position, especially since he was always a healthy guy.”

Reflecting, Matasic said he ran on adrenaline. His mother, Terry Karing, played a crucial part helping to run errands. Terry and Stephen were divorced, Matasic said.

His sister Michelle Burnett was in Columbus and brother Stephen was local, but each had two small kids at the time, Matasic said.

Matasic has since been involved with Survive Stroke, a national campaign that works to streamline stroke treatments to patients.

Locally, he’s been giving testimony in Columbus.

He was nominated for the caregiving award by a contact in Cleveland, Matasic said, who took note of his devotion to his father, but also for his advocacy.

“It makes me feel really good” to be recognized, Matasic said. “Knowing something good came out of a bad situation, to where I’m able to help people and help change lives” is helpful, Matasic said. “Awareness is coming out of all this.”

Matasic, 40, grew up in Campbell, attending St. Joseph the Provider Elementary School and Campbell Memorial High School. He graduated from Youngstown State University in 2008 with an accounting degree.

He owns Youngstown Original Clothing, as he likes fashion and the creative outlet.

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