MILVERTON -- A Milverton man is back home after spending weeks in a trailer to protect his community after his wife was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Mike Carter, who owns Independent Food Town, moved out of his house and into the trailer in May. He stayed there for 41 days.

"Emotionally, I don't know how we got through it, to tell you the truth," he said.

Independent Food Town is the only grocery store in Milverton.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Carter's life was thrown upside down in more ways than one.

"You were kind of trying to navigate uncharted waters at the same time somebody at home is sick," he said.

His wife, Bev, was diagnosed with COVID-19 in April.

"Having COVID, it was scary," Bev said. "It was scary in that you didn't know how you were going to feel tomorrow."

Bev's diagnosis prompted Mike to move out of his house so the store could stay open and his staff and customers wouldn't be at risk.

"When you're living it, we were just surviving," Mike said. "We were just doing what we had to do to get to the next day."

Bev has recovered from the disease and the couple is relieved to be reunited.

"I felt very sorry for him that he was sleeping in the trailer," Bev said. "I was so worried about him and it was tough going here at the store, there was so much for him to deal with."

The couple also said there are still some hurdles in their business recovery.

"Our groceries are 70 per cent of what we normally get," Mike said. "Everybody goes, 'oh that's not too bad,' it really means every three cases we order, we get two. It's random of what you get and what you don't get."

"We want life to return to normal in every area," Bev said.

In spite of the challenges, the Carters plan to keep working hard to serve their community.