A well-known YouTuber woke up to the devastating news his girlfriend had died from an infection brought on by a popular seafood dish.
Billy LeBlanc, 44, shared his partner, Natalie Clark, 41, tragically passed away and that he 'almost died' after the pair contracted a virus called Vibrio Vulnificus from eating raw oysters.
There are about a dozen kinds of Vibrio viruses that are brought on by bacteria that live inside certain coastal waters. Vibrio Vulnificus enters the body when uncooked or undercooked fish are consumed, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
'We ate oysters and we both felt sick for a couple days and then I woke up and she was gone,' Billy said.
Billy became popular after sharing videos of his family on the account Bratayleys, where he was joined by his ex-wife Katie LeBlanc and their three children Annie, Hayley and Caleb.
Billy LeBlanc, 44, shared that his girlfriend Natalie Clark, 41, tragically passed and that he 'almost died' after they contracted a virus called Vibrio Vulnificus from eating raw oysters
The heartbroken content creator said he has a vague memory of what happened as he spent a total of 12 days in the hospital, eight of those being in the intensive care unit
'I will always remember how we got lost everywhere together. I will always love her and miss her. Be safe and hold your loved ones tight, you never know when it’ll be the last time you see them,' he said in another post alongside pictures of them traveling.
The heartbroken content creator said he has a vague memory of what happened as he spent a total of 12 days in the hospital, eight of those being in the intensive care unit.
'I don't know what to say. I'm trying to figure my life out now, and what's next for me, so thank you for all your love and support to everyone who gave that,' he added.
Natalie has a son of her own, Julian Clark, 17- an aspiring actor with his own YouTube channel.
On May 13 the late mother posted pictures of her and Julian enjoying Mother's Day together.
'Thank you son for the best date ever! You are the best thing that ever happened to me.
Vibrio Vulnificus enters the body when uncooked or undercooked fish is consumed
In 2020, he introduced Natalie as his girlfriend in a video on his channel justbillyleblanc. She continued to make regular appearances in his clips
'We had the best talks to-and-fro and in between. I cannot wait to witness his future,' she said.
Billy's mother, Yvette Berthelot LeBlanc paid tribute to her son's girlfriend in a recent Facebook post.
'Natalie lost her life and Billy was very close to death in the ICU for 8 days. Please continue to pray for Natalie’s son Julian for her family and for Billy, both for his health and his heart,' Yvette wrote.
The CDC estimated that about 65 percent of 80,000 vibrio cases reported each year are contracted from eating contaminated food.
Around one in five people died from the infection, 'sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill,' the CDC said.
This isn't Billy's first time dealing with unexpected tragedy as his son Caleb, who he shares with his ex-wife Katie Leblanc, died in 2015 at the age of 13 from sudden cardiac arrest.
Natalie has a son of her own, Julian Clark, 17- an aspiring actor with his own Youtube channel
Katie's family has a history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and despite taking their three children for regular screenings, Caleb was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association.
Both Katie and Billy post about their late son frequently on social media, as the YouTuber shared a heartfelt birthday message for him.
'It seems like just yesterday, you would have been in this IHOP with us. I miss you my little baby boy. Happy birthday,' Billy wrote.
Following his son's death, the family took a break from their channel. When they returned, they continued to post videos until 2019, the same year Billy and Katie ended their marriage.
Billy then launched his own YouTube channel, justbillyleblanc, where he shares his daily life with his kids with his 208,000 subscribers.
In 2020, he introduced Natalie as his girlfriend in a video. She continued to make regular appearances in his clips.
