Man Who Fell Into Coma After Eating Slug As A Dare Dies Surrounded By Family

A young rugby player who was left paralysed after eating a slug for a dare has died.

Sam Ballard, from Sydney, was 19 when contracted a rare disease after swallowing the animal, which he didn't know had been infected with rat lungworm.

Shortly after eating the slug he was diagnosed with eosinophilic meningo-encephalitis, which later caused him to fall into a coma for 420 days, and spend three years in hospital.

Eight years after falling ill it was announced that Sam passed away on Friday, November 2. He was 28.

The Sunday Project host Lisa Wilkinson confirmed that he died 'surrounded by his family and loyal, loving mates'.

She added: "His last words to his mum: 'I love you'."

One of Sam's mates Jimmy Galvin spoke to Australian media about the night of the incident. He said he and Sam Ballard were drinking at a party with pals in 2010 when Sam spotted the slug and had an idea.

He said: "We were sitting, having a bit of a red wine appreciation night, trying to act as grown-ups and a slug came crawling across.

"The conversation came up: 'Should I eat it?' Off Sam went. Bang. That's how it happened."

However, shortly after eating it, Sam fell ill and was rushed into hospital.

The worm is generally found in rodents but slugs and snails can get infected from eating their droppings. Most people don't show any symptoms but in rare cases - such as with Sam - it can affect the brain.

Sam's mum Katie had previously told Australian media about the incredible physical, emotional, and financial toll Sam's illness had taken on the family.

The Project/Network Ten

She said the disease had caused him to have seizures, and left him unable to control his body temperature. He was also reliant on a tube to feed him, all of which cost the family a lot of money.

When he was released from hospital, three years after being admitted, his friends rallied around him and tried to raise as much money as possible to help with the medical bills, but sadly it was never enough.

Katie applied to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in 2016 and Sam was granted a AUD $492,000 package.

However, in September 2017, she was told this was being cut to AUD $135,000 - a move Katie says has left her family heavily in debt.

Topics: international news

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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