We live in the tiny community of Blue Rocks. For years, every summer visitors would get to feast on the ribs and lobster rolls that our neighbours Don & Helen barbecued and sold from their “Blue Hog” gallery. But lately things have changed and it’s not just the season. Last week, this message was posted by Helen on the gallery’s Facebook page

“UPDATE FOR THE BLUE HOG

This is to all my Blue Hog Family and friends.

Don and I had planned to open our business until the end of October - unfortunately life sometimes doesn't work that way. As many of you know Don has been suffering from major shoulder issues which was limiting his culinary capabilities.

The issue finally got resolved this past weekend with an emergency trip to the hospital and major spinal surgery to save his life, as a disc in his neck had popped out and was pressing against his spinal cord.

He is in the ICU and hopefully will regain all movement to his left side - although the surgeon states he was in a bad way and may never get full function of his left leg. Praying that this is not the case, as today he has seen some movement in his left hand.”

This sad turn of events means that Don and Helen will have to pretty much shut down their delicious barbeque business for the season. This means that they will lose a critical part of their income for the rest of the fall season. The road to recovery sounds like it will be long, arduous and costly. Don’s surgery took place in Halifax and his recovery and rehabilitation will happen there as well, which means a lot of travelling for Helen over the next months. They will also face considerable expense making their house accessible.

To help ease the financial pressure this will put on our friends Pierre & I have set up this page on their behalf so that the neighbourhood and summer visitors can pitch in to help. As Helen mentioned in her post, Don “can be a big pain in the arse” sometimes, but we love him anyway. Some of the funds will go towards helping Helen with the expense of traveling back and forth to Halifax, which will cost a lot in fuel and force her to take considerable time off from work. And some of the funds will go to help retrofit the house to accommodate Don when he is released. We will know more in a few weeks.