YouTube star wakes up in hospital to find out his girlfriend had died from an infection after they both fell ill from eating shellfish

A well-known YouTuber woke up to the devastating news that his girlfriend had died from an infection caused by a popular seafood dish.

Billy LeBlanc, 44, shared that his partner, Natalie Clark, 41, tragically passed away and “almost died” after they both contracted a virus called Vibrio Vulnificus from eating raw oysters.

There are about a dozen types of Vibrio viruses that are transmitted by bacteria that live in certain coastal waters. Vibrio vulnificus enters the body when raw or undercooked fish is consumed, according to the CDC. Cleveland Clinic.

“We ate oysters and we both felt sick for a couple of days and then I woke up and she was gone,” Billy said.

Billy rose to popularity after sharing videos of his family on the Bratayleys account, where he was joined by his ex-wife Katie LeBlanc and their three children Annie, Hayley and Caleb.

“I will always remember how we got lost together everywhere. I will always love and miss her. Take care and hold your loved ones tight, you never know when it will be the last time you see them,” she said in another post alongside photos of them traveling.

The heartbroken content creator said he has a vague recollection of what happened, having spent a total of 12 days in the hospital, eight of them in the intensive care unit.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m trying to figure out my life now and what’s next for me, so thank you for all your love and support to everyone who gave me that,” she added.

Natalie has a son, Julian Clark, 17, an aspiring actor with his own YouTube channel.

On May 13, the late mother posted photos of her and Julian enjoying Mother’s Day together.

‘Thank you son for the best date of my life. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.

“We had the best conversations, back and forth. I can’t wait to see his future,” he 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 on the brink of death in the ICU for eight days. Please continue to pray for Natalie’s son Julian, her family and for Billy, both for his health and his heart,” Yvette wrote.

He Centers for Disease Control and Prevention It is estimated that about 65 percent of the 80,000 cases of Vibrio reported each year are contracted by eating contaminated food.

About one in five people died from the infection, “sometimes within a day or two of getting sick,” the CDC said.

This isn’t the first time Billy has faced unexpected tragedy: his son Caleb, whom he shares with ex-wife Katie Leblanc, died in 2015 at the age of 13 due to sudden cardiac arrest.

Katie’s family has a history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and despite taking her three children for regular checkups, Caleb was found unconscious and later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy association.

Both Katie and Billy frequently post about their late son on social media, and the YouTuber shared an emotional birthday message for him.

“It seems like just yesterday you were at this IHOP with us. I miss you my little one. Happy Birthday,” Billy wrote.

Following the death of their son, the family took a break from their channel. When they returned, they continued posting 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 children 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.