Billy LeBlanc Was Hospitalized for 12 Days with Bacterial Infection That Killed Partner: 'I Woke Up and She Was Gone'
Billy LeBlanc previously shared that girlfriend Natalie Clark died after they contracted a rare bacterial infection from eating raw oysters
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Billy LeBlanc and Natalie ClarkYouTuber Billy LeBlanc shared more details about the death of his partner Natalie Clark as well as his hospitalization after eating raw oysters.
LeBlanc, 44, posted a video on Instagram July 16, thanking his loved ones and followers for their support, and sharing that speaking out about Natalie's death was genuine, and not “some kind of way to get somebody to follow me.”
“We ate oysters and we both felt sick for a couple of days,” he said. “Then I woke up and she was gone.”
LeBlanc went on to say that he “spent 12 days in the hospital and 8 days in ICU” after contracting the rare bacterial infection vibrio vulnificus. “I don’t remember much of it [and] I was pretty out of it most of the time.”
He then thanked his followers for their “love and support” during this difficult time and shared that he is “trying to figure my life out now and what’s next."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the bacteria vibrio occur naturally in some ocean waters and since “oysters feed by filtering water, vibrio can concentrate inside oysters their tissues.”
While diarrhea and vomiting are more common symptoms, contracting vibrio vulnificus can require intensive care or amputation and about 20% of people die.
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The YouTube creator first shared the sad news about Clark’s passing in an Instagram post on July 15.
LeBlanc’s mother, Yvette Berthelot LeBlanc, also shared on Facebook that the “past two weeks" had been difficult for the family. "Please continue to pray for Natalie’s son Julian for her family and for Billy, both for his health and his heart," she wrote.
Billy LeBlanc/Instagram
Natalie Clark and Billy LeBlancLeBlanc was part of the popular YouTube family that posted through the account Bratayleys. The videos featured LeBlanc’s ex-wife, Katie LeBlanc, as well as his children Annie, Hayley and Caleb.
The LeBlancs previously faced tragedy when their son Caleb suddenly passed away when he was 13. The couple ended their YouTube series in 2019 after their split and LeBlanc went on to start his own YouTube channel, Just Billy LeBlanc.
Billy LeBlanc/Instagram
Billy LeBlanc and Natalie ClarkIn 2020, LeBlanc introduced Clark as his new girlfriend on his YouTube channel, who continued to make appearances in his content until her death.
“I will always remember how we got lost everywhere together,” LeBlanc wrote in his July 15 Instagram post about Clark. “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.”
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