The Project
A man paralysed by a devastating rat lungworm infection after eating a slug has sadly passed away.
Sydney man Sam Ballard, who ate a backyard slug on a silly dare in 2010, lapsed into a coma for 420 days, before waking up with a brain injury.
The slug that Sam swallowed was infected with a worm that is usually found in rodents, but can be found in snails and slugs that eat rat faeces.
Tragically, eight years after he fell ill, Sam died surrounded by his family and best mates.
His beautiful mother Katie had worked tirelessly for eight years to care for her sick son, and the 29-year-old was working hard to regain movement.
But he lost his fight on November 2.
An obituary for Sam published on the Sydney Morning Herald described the Sydney man as a ‘true battler’.
‘He had an army of friends and family who have loved and cared for him for which he was truly grateful,’ it read.
‘His last days were the happiest and he was surrounded by a room full of love.’
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