March 25, 2025
‘Living in the moment:’ Ferris State student Curt Sutherland battles cancer while working toward degree, career in construction
Senior year has been tough for Curt Sutherland.
Until recently, the 23-year-old successfully balanced Construction Technology and Management program classes at Ferris State University, professional internships, his role as fraternity president, and an active social life.
But this year? This year was different.
Curt Sutherland
“My cancer came back again last summer,” Sutherland said. “I had to go through radiation and some pretty heavy chemo, and then lung surgery over winter break to remove a nodule in my left lung, and now more radiation.
“This is definitely the hardest time I've come across since I was first diagnosed. So, if I get a day or two when I’m feeling better, I’m happy to take it.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t Sutherland’s first battle with the cancer beast.
He grew up in White Lake, near Pontiac, with his parents and two younger siblings. He ran cross-country and track in high school and was pretty good.
“But I started having these really weird days every couple of weeks when it felt like the life was being sucked out of me,” he said.
By 2019, the episodes became more frequent. Doctors eventually discovered a large tumor on his liver requiring removal of 75 percent of the organ, his gallbladder and seven lymph nodes.
He was 18.
For the next four years, Sutherland was able to keep the extremely rare form of liver cancer called fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma at bay using immunotherapy drugs. But a year after enrolling at Ferris State, a routine scan showed a new abdominal tumor requiring surgery in Boston.
The tumor returned last summer, along with others on his spine and lungs. For the first time, Sutherland was forced to endure radiation and chemotherapy. He’s again receiving radiation this spring for the lung tumors.
Throughout it all, he’s maintained a positive attitude and forged ahead with his studies.
Sutherland's journey is one of extraordinary resilience, said Mark Dyke, one of his professors in the program.
Many in his position might have given up.
“Despite it all, Curt has remained dedicated to his education, never seeking attention for his struggles but instead focusing on his goal of completing his degree in May,” Dyke said.
The good news is the treatments are working: Sutherland’s spinal tumor is gone and the cancerous lymph nodes are much smaller.
And his hard work at Ferris State is also paying off: The Christman Company in Lansing has a project engineering position waiting for him after graduation.
“Things are looking up,” he said. “I guess I’ve gotten through it by living in the moment and just not worrying about what tomorrow might bring.”