Caleb Leblanc

How Did Caleb Leblanc Died

Posted on January 15, 2024

Caleb Leblanc, a 13-year-old YouTuber who had more than 7.24 million followers, passed away from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in October 1st, 2015.

The death of the man was confirmed by an announcement to his family’s Instagram account on the 5th of October.

How Did Caleb Leblanc Died

His condition was Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) where the heart muscle is thickened and it becomes more difficult to circulate blood. HCM may be inherited and often not diagnosed until after a person dies due to it.

After the incident, relatives also were diagnosed with in which Caleb’s two sisters are in good health and their hearts seem to be healthy, the family’s post declared. The Bratayleys will hold an event to commemorate Caleb that will be streamed live via their channel YouTube on the 17th, 2015.

“The sorrow of losing the person you love is inconceivable. Thank for everyone who offered help, your generosity and kindness continue to assist our family. We love our baked potatoes every day,” the post said.

The death of Caleb was a major shock to the social media. The family and the boy are YouTube popular since 2010, when they started posting every day videos of their lives as a family. The tragic death of the boy has been a source of shock for many through social networks, and a lot of his followers using social media to offer their condolences.

The funeral service of Caleb was streamed live just a week after his passing and gave his followers the chance to mourn as his entire family. The loss of the one you love is beyond comprehension however, Caleb’s followers affirm that they miss him the same way his family. We thank everyone who been in touch Your kindness and support helps us to keep our family together.

The death of Caleb highlights the importance of understanding the family history of your relatives and having them tested for HCM. If you are concerned you should talk to your physician.

About Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heart muscle disorder where the heart muscle gets excessively thick. The increased thickness of the heart muscle could make it difficult for your heart pumping blood.

HCM may not cause any symptoms, or may cause shortness of breathing, chest pain or mildheadedness. It could also cause heart failure, and sudden cardiac death.

It is not possible to cure HCM However, treatments are readily available to manage symptoms. Treatments may include medication or lifestyle changes as well as surgical procedures.

Katie’s family is known for its history of heart issues and there’s even a term for it, hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). Katie’s uncle passed away from HCM when she was around three or four years old. After his passing, several other relatives were also diagnosed as having HCM. Genetic tests were performed on family members based on family’s history. A mutation that causes the disease was identified on the TNNI gene. Although some family members had been treated for HCM however, the condition seemed to be to be under control, and Katie felt safe.

 

As a mother of 3 children Katie was aware of the need to bring her kids to regularly scheduled HCM screenings. The screenings revealed that all her children showed regular ECGs as well as echocardiograms. The community cardiologist suggested annual screening at 3-4 years. Unbeknownst to Katie the guidelines for medical professionals to test for HCM in families with a diagnosis of HCM suggest that screenings be performed every year at the time of puberty to the time that you reach the full development.

 

2013 was the year that Caleb at the age of 11 was suffering from chest pains that brought Caleb to go to Emergency Department, where an abnormal ECG was found. Echocardiograms were also conducted. It was reported that everything was good, but there was no indication of HCM was determined. The next screening for cardiac health was scheduled for 2016 according to the recommendation of the cardiologist However, the family members, this was a potentially lengthy time period between tests in the HCM family.

 

Caleb was a typical teenager in many aspects. He was a fan of Minecraft as well as making people laugh and playing baseball proudly sporting his #7 uniform. In another way, he wasn’t as “typical” as he was an influencer in the teen years and Instagram user that had more than 800,000 followers. The family was embarking on an adventure of a lifetime as a vlog-based family, with an active and regular YouTube channelcalled “Bratayley”. The most watched family vlog video is averaging 69M+ million views!

 

On the 1st day of October 2015., the couple’s world shattering. Caleb was in the house and was riding around the home using his RipStik. Then, a few minutes later Caleb was found dead inside the room. Katie was contacted and instructed to be at the hospital to take him to the emergency room. It was the most terrifying call a parent could ever receive. Caleb was declared deceased in the ER suffering from sudden cardiac arrest caused by undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Caleb’s autopsy later revealed some slight thickening in the heart.

 

If Caleb was diagnosed with HCM and HCM, he may be secured from sudden cardiac death using an implantable device to defibrillate. However, there are usually no signs that could trigger sudden cardiac arrest in the case of HCM when it is in children which is why it is difficult to detect and avoid. This is the reason regular screenings of children with an extended family background of HCM are vitally important.

 

The story of Caleb’s life doesn’t end when he passes away. His unending positivity and kindness remain a source of inspiration for his loved ones and his followers who were a part of his life and also new followers who find his work on YouTube in the present.

 

The story of his life is being told to people understand the severity of HCM and its unpredictable nature. His death is also a reminder of the need to provide better medical education on HCM which is the primary reason for why our HCM Academy was developed. The death of Caleb highlights the need for improving heart screening through the enactment of”the Healthy Cardiac Monitoring Act – “HCM Act”.

 

Read More:-