YouTuber Billy LeBlanc Says His Partner Natalie Clark Died After Contracting Bacterial Infection from Oysters

Billy LeBlanc shared on Instagram that he and his girlfriend Natalie Clark contracted the infection after consuming raw oysters

YouTube creator Billy LeBlanc says that his partner Natalie Clark has died after contracting a serious bacterial infection.

On July 14, LeBlanc, 44, posted on Instagram that he “almost died” and Clark “passed away” after they contracted the rare bacterial infection vibrio vulnificus from raw oysters.

“I will always remember how we got lost everywhere together,” LeBlanc wrote in his Instagram post. “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.”

LeBlanc’s mother, Yvette Berthelot LeBlanc, shared on Facebook on July 6 that the “past two weeks [has been] a hard time” for their family.

“Natalie lost her life and Billy was very close to death [and he was] in the ICU for 8 days,” she said in the post. “Please continue to pray for Natalie’s son Julian for her family and for Billy, both for his health and his heart.”

Vibrio vulnificus are a more severe form of vibrio infections from eating raw oysters, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While diarrhea and vomiting are much more common symptoms of vibrio infections, contracting vibrio vulnificus can require intensive care or amputation and about 20% of people die.

LeBlanc was part of the popular YouTube family that posted through the account Bratayleys. They were famous for their videos that documented their daily life in their fun-loving home. The videos featured LeBlanc’s ex-wife Katie LeBlanc and his children Annie, Hayley and Caleb.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

LeBlanc has faced tragedy before. In October 2015, LeBlanc and his family shared on Instagram that Caleb died at 13 years old from “natural causes.”

“His incredibly funny, loving and wonderful spirit made us all fall in love with him as a YouTuber, friend, brother and son,” the post said. “We know you tune in to watch each day and eagerly anticipate new videos, but ask that you bear with us while we deal with this tragedy as a family. Please help us honor our baked potato.”

After a short hiatus, the family continued to post videos on their YouTube channel until 2019, when the LeBlancs ended their marriage.

LeBlanc then started his own YouTube channel Just Billy LeBlanc shortly after and shared daily videos on his life with his children.

In 2020, LeBlanc introduced Clark as his new girlfriend on his YouTube channel, and she then continued to make an appearances in his videos and on his social media.

Clark had one son — 17-year-old Julian Clark — an aspiring actor who also made his own videos on his YouTube channel.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.