YouTube star wakes up in hospital to learn his girlfriend had died from an infection after the pair fell sick eating seafood

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

Billy LeBlanc, 44, said his partner, Natalie Clark, 41, tragically passed away and “nearly died” after the pair contracted a virus called Vibrio Vulnificus from eating raw oysters.

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

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

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

The heartbroken content creator said he has vague memories of what happened, as he spent a total of 12 days in the hospital, eight of which were in intensive care.

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

The content creator is in grief and says he has a vague memory of what happened. He spent a total of 12 days in hospital, eight of which were in intensive care.

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

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

On May 13, the late mother posted photos of her and Julian celebrating 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 raw or undercooked fish is eaten

In 2020, he introduced Natalie as his girlfriend in a video on his channel justbillyleblanc. She continued to appear regularly in his clips

“We’ve had the best conversations, back and forth and in between. I can’t wait to see his future,” she said.

Yvette Berthelot LeBlanc, Billy’s mother, recently paid tribute to her son’s girlfriend in a Facebook post.

“Natalie lost her life and Billy was nearly dead 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 for his heart,” Yvette wrote.

The CDC It is estimated that about 65 percent of the 80,000 cases of vibrio reported each year are contracted from eating contaminated food.

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

This isn’t the first time Billy has faced an unexpected tragedy. His son Caleb, with whom he has a child, died of cardiac arrest in 2015 at the age of 13.

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 having their three children checked regularly, Caleb was found unconscious and later pronounced dead at the hospital, the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association.

Both Katie and Billy regularly post about their late son on social media, with the YouTuber sharing a heartfelt birthday wish for him.

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

After his son’s death, 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 208,000 subscribers.

In 2020, he introduced Natalie as his girlfriend in a video. She continued to appear regularly in his clips.