The Country 23/07/24: Tom Plunkett talks to Jamie Mackay

Four Canterbury brothers are taking on Dry July to raise money for the fight against cancer, as their father battles a crippling second round of the insidious disease. 

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In this job, you get some interesting stories coming across
your desk. He's an interesting story and a sad story
all wrapped into one. It's about the Plunket Boys. There's
four of them. Tom and Being are farmers. The other two,
William and Olly, are pilots. Their dad, Tony is battling
his second round of cancer. He's having a really tough
time of it. And to help their dad, and to

(00:20):
help cancer sufferers across the board, the four Plunket Boys
decided to do dry July. Tom Plunkett, farmer at Windwhistle.
What a great part of the country, that is, Tom,
How are you going? What are we twenty three days
in too dry July? A bit parched?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yes, yes we are. Yeah, yeah, we're looking forward to
the to the goal. Put it that way.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Young farming lads like yourself and your brothers are probably
partial to a bear. I certainly was when I was
your age, still am today, to be perfectly honest. It
involves a wee bit of discipline, a but a sacrifice.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, it doesn't bolve a but a discipline and a
bit of sacrifice. Yeah. We sort of looked at it
and then we knew it was going to be a
big job, but I guess just the support from the
community and family and friends sort of keeps you going.
While the support's been out the gate.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Well, it certainly has been wonderful because I think the
four Plunkett brothers are sitting at number one in the
team's event for Dry July, and having been through things
time like November where we two won the team's event,
you get very competitive towards the end.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, yeah, you do, yeah yeah. And I guess the
best thing about it is it's all going to a
good cause.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Tell me about how your dad's battle with cancer has
affected the family, and once again I can have sympathy
with you. I lost my father at a very young
age to cancer. It's an insidious disease.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
It's that's in the second round of cancer. So he
had it six years ago and they put him through
a very heavy dose of came o radiation for about
it might have been eight weeks, and it was a
bit of that old you know, you got to kill
the paste, kill the patients, kill the cancer, and hope,

(02:10):
like you know, the patient recovers. So that that sort
of that knocked the whole family. And then about six
years to the day, he got a sore throat and
what do you know, the cancers come knock them back again.
So see second time it came back around his throat
and it happened pretty quickly, had a bit of a

(02:31):
sore throat and then within within two to three weeks
we had him tested and yeah it was cancer again.
So the doctor give him to options. Really it was
either weak, take your throat out, which is your voice
box and everything, or your bloody die. So obviously he
took option option one.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
It must be incredibly tough on the family. And you're
a farming community. Wind Whistle. I think your brother's farming
and Rakaia gorgeous.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
He he's up on the top of the Rakai Gorge.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
He's up at elds and your other two brothers are pilots.
But you've obviously banded together for a good cause.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yes we have. Yeah, one's flying, one's learning to flying
caff and the other one's flying in Australia. So we thought,
why not let's just get together. And I guess the
plug At Boys are probably renowned for a beer or
beer or two. We thought this would be a good
baite raise of money and get the awareness out there.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Well, good on you. And I know your dad, who's
only sixty two years of age, has got a real
battle on his hands. But with the support of you
and the community, I'm sure he is buoyed by what's happening.
Have you? By the way, Tom, how old are you?
If you don't mind me asking.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
I'm thirty two, thirty two, Jamie.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
So have you ever been a month in your life
without a bear?

Speaker 2 (03:49):
No? No, I haven't. Haven't been one day.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
Really, Oh, good on you. I really admire your family
for doing it. Just a final word, I know that Canterbury,
the Canterbury region has been very dry. Obviously at Windwhistle
you're up under the Alps there. How are you guys fearing?

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, hey, we're a right farm. We're wearing a but
we're a of a rainbolt. But the ra Kai Gorge
and like the astrod And Gorge and the Rangatata Gorge,
they they got philly hat last year. And I mean
we're probably looking for a bit of moisture. Otherwise she
might be a dry spring.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
Yeah, well that's the worry, a dry spring or a
cold spring for the livestock. You guys really need a
kind spring and The other thing is the Alpine lakes.
I was reading a story about they're half empty at
the moment. The country's praying for a bit of rain
for your region.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, yeah, that doesn't surprise me. I've been doing a
little bit of work at Courtel, just putting some fence
lines on and you only got a dig six inches
down and it's dust. They'll be screaming for some rain.
Everybody up here is well.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
We wish you all the best. Hey, Tom Plunket, along
with your brothers Ben William and Ally. Good luck raising
money for cancer sufferers through Dry July. I wish your
dad Tony all the best. And if people want to
donate to York Team, because you are the leading team
in New Zealand at the moment, they just go to
what Google drive July and look for the Plunkett brothers, do.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
They Yeah, let's the one go under Yeah, go to
Dridge July and then click on teams and donate for
the Blanket boys.

Speaker 1 (05:14):
Well, what a heartwarming story. All the best to you
and your family. Thanks Tom Blunket.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
Awesome, Thank you, Jamie