Brenna Cooper
YouTuber Billy LeBlanc has revealed why he decided to shave his beard after the heartbreaking death of his girlfriend.
Billy found fame on the video sharing platform as part of the (now defunct) family vlogging channel 'Bratayley' with his ex-wife Katie and their three children Jules, Hayley, and Caleb.
Despite the channel shutting down after the couple's divorce Billy continued creating content for social media, under his own personal channel.
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However the content creator suffered a devastating loss earlier in July this year, when he and partner Natalie Clark contracted rare bacterial infection Vibrio Vulnificus after eating oysters.
The condition, which is fatal if left untreated, can cause septicaemia, severe wound infections, and gastroenteritis in patients.
Statistics shared by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention adds that one in five people die from Vibrio Vulnificus.
Billy would recover after 12 days in hospital, eight of which were in the ICU, while Natalie would pass away from the infection.
Since confirming the news Billy has been working to rebuild his life, which includes fulfilling one of Natalie's goals - however this hasn't been easy for the 44-year-old.
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In a video marking his return to YouTube back in September, Billy updated followers on Natalie's passing, as well as revealing he'd also gotten into a car wreck.
Showing pictures of the damaged car as well as cuts on his arm, Billy told his followers: "You can see how banged up the car got. I got directly impacted on my driver's side door."
Reflecting on the difficult few months he'd faced, Billy added: "So from losing my girlfriend, ICU, car wreck. A lot has changed."
Billy reassured viewers that he was seeking professional support for the traumatic year, before going on to explain that he wanted to make a major symbolic change to mark the 'next chapter' in his life was to shave his beard.
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"Not saying I won't grow it back but... it's gonna go," he said. "Time for a fresh start."
Billy's decision to shave his beard isn't an unusual one, as cutting off hair during a period of grief or to mark a drastic change in life isn't anything unheard of.
In fact, the practice having a long history in various cultures around the world.
For example, some Native American communities have been known to practice cutting their hair as a sign of mourning a loved one.
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Gisuborān, which means haircutting, is also used to symbolise mourning in Iranian culture.