Carla Black used delivery services to have large amounts of alcohol ordered to her home – despite being so ill she could barely walk
17:18, 16 Jul 2026Updated 17:19, 16 Jul 2026
Teri Black and her daughter Carla
An “amazing” mum ordered 18 bottles of wine to her house just one week before she died. Carla Black, from Claughton in Birkenhead, had been struggling with alcohol addiction, and had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver earlier that year.
Following Carla’s death in December 2023, a friend told the ECHO how the “amazing” mum had been ordering food and grocery shops from ASDA for those struggling with the colder winter months and ongoing cost of living crisis.
But Teri revealed her daughter had also been using delivery services to have large amounts of alcohol ordered to her home – despite being so ill she could barely walk to the shops.
The week before she died, she ordered no less than 18 bottles of wine through delivery services.
Carla was eventually diagnosed with cirrhosis, permanent scarring of the liver caused by long-term liver damage. Her condition worsened and she reported having “dizzy spells, constantly vomiting and struggling to do daily tasks like walking and cleaning the house.”
Carla was taken into hospital and was told her organs were failing from sepsis – a life-threatening reaction to an infection. She died aged 38 on December 3 2023, leaving behind her 17-year-old son Ashton.
Teri, 64, told creatorzine.com: “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.
“I asked her what we could do, I offered to pay for anything like rehab. I would have done anything – I would have sold the house.
“I was aware she was still drinking and there was no point begging her to stop.”
Foster carer Teri says Carla had always been a social drinker, and she didn’t have any concerns about her habits until she suffered a miscarriage followed by a difficult break-up. She was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.
Teri said: “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 she left us, I realised there was a problem because my grandson called me and told me she’d been drinking a lot. I was shocked but I spoke to her about it and she told me I was judgy.
“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. Carla was still working from home, so I think she drank as soon as she finished.”
Teri was on holiday in Spain in December 2023 when Carla called and said she was on her way to hospital in an ambulance.
She said: “I went to see her before I went [on holiday] but she wouldn’t let me in because she said she was ill with a bug. I begged her to let me in and left a food shop on her steps.
“I went to Spain and couldn’t get hold of her. I was worried sick, I knew something was wrong.
“She called me eventually and said there was an ambulance coming. The hospital called later that night to say she was quite poorly.
“I was going home the next evening and they said I could stick with that flight but go straight to the hospital. I beat myself up about that because I knew something wasn’t right.
“My grandson called when I was in the airport and said Carla wanted to speak to me but she could barely talk.”
Teri made her way to the hospital, where she learned her daughter’s condition had tragically deteriorated. She said: “It was awful. As soon as I got there, I knew she wasn’t coming home. I had to get everyone there to say bye to her.”
The heartbroken mum has now launched a petition calling for a review of alcohol home deliveries and stronger safeguards to protect vulnerable adults, as she believes Carla’s use of delivery apps made her addiction “invisible”.
She said: “At the time, I was so angry about the alcohol deliveries. I knew she’d been getting it delivered because I saw the boxes by the door.
“At the time, I was concentrating more on looking after Carla. I ask myself why I didn’t stop it then. But I can try and stop it now [for others]. I haven’t come to terms with it yet. I’m still numb now.”
Teri Black and her daughter Carla
Carla’s friend Marlene, 38, described Carla 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. She had so many friends, it was unreal. She made friends with everyone so easily.”
Teri now hopes to spare others the heartbreak of losing a loved one to alcoholism as she calls for a review into alcohol home delivery apps.
She said: “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.
“It’s difficult for the stores to take responsibility and delivery companies don’t have a responsibility.
“People can ban themselves but it’s not working. Some people say an alcoholic will get alcohol if they want it, but where would they get it late at night if their local shop is shut?
“I like a drink, I’m not trying to stop people having a good time. I want there to be a buffer, a limit or a flag so that person can have a think about what they’re doing.
“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.
“It’s not as simple as Carla, it’s a cost to the NHS, social services and the police. Children are being affected and yet you can walk into any shop and there’s so much alcohol on display. Something needs to be done.
“Carla was lucky she had me, but not everyone has that support system.”