What happened to Billy LeBlanc? YouTuber reveals contracting vibrio vulnificus and his girlfriend Natalie dying from infection

YouTube creator Billy LeBlanc recently shared horrifying news about spending nearly two weeks in the hospital after he and his girlfriend, Natalie, contracted an infection after eating raw oysters. In a July 14 Instagram post, LeBlanc shared a series of photos of him and Natalie taken from several of their travels, while he wrote about the deathly experience in the caption.

"I'm sure none of you know but I recently almost died. I was in the hospital for 12 days."

While Billy LeBlanc, who was part of the famous YouTube family behind the account Braytayleys, safely made it out alive despite spending nearly two weeks in the hospital, the YouTuber shared the sad news that his girlfriend didn't make it.

"Unfortunately, Natalie didn't make it and she passed away."

In a tribute to Natalie, LeBlanc noted in the caption one of the things that he will "always remember" about his girlfriend and their travel adventures. He also added a short message for his fans and viewers to appreciate the time they have with their loved ones. He further wrote:

"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."

With fans curious about what happened to him and his girlfriend that was so serious, the YouTube vlogger wrote in the comments:

"We both got vibrio vulnificus from raw oysters."

While people can contract vibrio infections from eating raw oysters, vibrio vilnificus is a more severe form that most likely requires intensive care and sometimes amputation, with around 20% of cases causing death in healthy people, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

---

Billy LeBlanc's mother previously shared news of his hospital stay and Natalie's death online

Before Billy LeBlanc broke the news of his 12-day stay in the hospital and Natalie's death from a vibrio infection on Instagram, his mother, Yvette Berthelot LeBlanc, shared snippets of what's been going on in a July 7 Facebook post.

Yvette expressed her gratitude for those who have prayed for her family in the past two weeks, saying that it has been "a very hard time." Sharing the news online, she further wrote:

"Billy and Natalie are raw oysters and contracted a deadly virus. Natalie lost her life and Billy was very close to death."

She also mentioned that out of the 12 days Billy spent recovering from the infection in the hospital, he spent eight days in the ICU. Yvette also asked for prayers for Billy's further recovery and Natalie's son, Julian.

It's not the first time Billy LeBlanc has faced the tragedy of losing a loved one as his son with his former wife died at 13 years old in 2015.