WORCESTER, Mass. - They're words no person wants to hear, and Marc Bolduc heard them first-hand.
"I was diagnosed with terminal cancer 10 years ago," Bolduc said. "So, that changed all my plans for the future."
Bolduc's cancer diagnosis led him to an early retirement. He underwent experimental cancer treatment overseas, and to his surprise and elation, it worked.
What You Need To Know
- Marc Bolduc started making guitars after beginning advanced manufacturing classes at QCC in 2020
- Bolduc was diagnosed with terminal cancer 10 years ago, and says he put together a couple guitar kits while sick
- After experimental cancer treatment overseas, Bolduc says it worked and he feels great
- Bolduc is now working to donate the guitar kits to teens with terminal cancer or are facing a severe illness
"I feel great," Bolduc said with a smile. "I'm full of gratitude. Thrilled to be here."
Even with his new lease on life, Marc says his biggest challenge was being out of work and bored, specially in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
"When I was sick, I had built models and I built a guitar kit," he said. "That was fun. So, I decided to come back to school."
That year, marc began taking advanced manufacturing courses at Quinsigamond Community College, spending time in the lab learning how to fuse together his two biggest passions: technology and music.
"It was like something I dreamed about when I was in my teens," Bolduc said. "You know, turning wrenches and building things."
Over the last four years, Marc says he has put together roughly 30 guitars, many of which he's been able to give away. Some of his projects now are even being made with wood from the old Doherty High School in Worcester.
But solving his own boredom was only half of his mission.
"One thing I always did want to do was find a way to reach out to teens that are struggling with terminal cancer or are very sick that are looking for something to do while they're waiting for the next appointment," he said.
Marc is now a part-time employee at the manufacturing lab. On top of his own battle with cancer, he says the inspiration to give back came from one of his favorite bands, The Who, who did something similar.
"You can take your mind off things by building an instrument that you can actually play, and build it to your liking," said Bolduc.
His ultimate goal is to expand production of the guitars so he can reach as many sick teens as possible. Marc will be 65 this month, and says while nowhere near hanging things up, he'd like to eventually hand the project off to someone with similar passions to him.
"Although that tree is gone, part of it lives on forever, right," Bolduc said. "And music makes people happy. It's going to make somebody who plays it happy, and the people around them happy."