Carla Black, a 38-year-old mother from Claughton in Birkenhead, ordered 18 bottles of wine to her home just one week before her death in December 2023. She had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver earlier that year and struggled with alcohol addiction.
Daughter's struggle with addiction
Carla's mother, Teri Black, 64, told creatorzine.com that she was unaware of the severity of her daughter's condition until it was too late. “By the time I found out how bad things were for Carla, it was advanced. Five months before she passed away, she told me she had cirrhosis and I was in total shock. I thought it was an early diagnosis but I think she didn’t want to hurt me,” Teri said.
Carla had always been a social drinker, but her habits worsened after a miscarriage and a difficult breakup. She was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Teri recalled: “Carla desperately wanted more kids but she had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) so it wasn’t easy for her. She got pregnant and lost the baby and it devastated her.”
Around 18 months before her death, Teri realised there was a problem when her grandson called to say Carla had been drinking heavily. “I was shocked but I spoke to her about it and she told me I was judgy,” Teri said. “I’d go round to clear empty bottles and she’d fill a whole recycling bin with wine bottles in a week. She couldn’t really walk so wasn’t capable of going to the shops.”
Final days and hospitalisation
Carla continued to order alcohol through delivery services despite her illness. The week before she died, she ordered 18 bottles of wine. She eventually developed sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection, and was hospitalised. Teri was on holiday in Spain when Carla called to say an ambulance was coming. “The hospital called later that night to say she was quite poorly,” Teri said.
Teri rushed back to the UK and went straight to the hospital. “As soon as I got there, I knew she wasn’t coming home. I had to get everyone there to say bye to her,” she said. Carla died on December 3, 2023, leaving behind her 17-year-old son Ashton.
Friend's tribute
Carla's friend Marlene, 38, described her as “one of the most amazing mums” who was “always looking out for everyone”. She said: “We always used to describe her as a 50s housewife - really loved cooking and baking and wore rockabilly dresses. Her house was the same style. She had the biggest heart and took care of anyone who walked through her doors.”
Petition for stronger safeguards
Teri has launched a petition calling for a review of alcohol home deliveries and stronger safeguards to protect vulnerable adults. She believes delivery apps made Carla's addiction “invisible”. “There’s such a massive loophole because it’s the supermarkets who hold the alcohol license so the delivery companies can fob responsibility off on someone else,” she said.
Teri wants a buffer or limit on alcohol deliveries to give people a chance to reconsider. “When you’re in a small area, people know you and can point out you go to the shop every day for three bottles of wine. Online, it’s private and under the radar,” she said. “Carla was lucky she had me, but not everyone has that support system.”
