A tragic incident occurred when a teenager, Sam Ballard, became paralyzed and eventually passed away after consuming a slug on a dare at a birthday celebration. Sam, a promising rugby player from Sydney, Australia, ingested the slug while socializing with friends at a gathering. Unbeknownst to him, the slug carried the rat lungworm disease, a lethal parasite typically found in rodents, which transmits through their feces to snails and slugs.
Initially, Sam did not show any signs of illness, but shortly after the party in 2010, he began experiencing severe leg pain. Despite his concerns about the slug consumption, his mother reassured him that it was harmless. However, Sam later developed a brain infection, fell into a coma for an extensive 420 days, and upon waking up, he was paralyzed from the neck down, experiencing seizures, body temperature regulation challenges, and requiring tube feeding. Tragically, he succumbed to the illness at the age of 28 in 2018, with his family and friends by his side.
Recounting the fateful night, Sam’s friend Jimmy recalled a casual gathering where the dare took place, with Sam impulsively deciding to eat the slug. Another friend, Michael Sheasby, vividly described the shock of seeing Sam in the hospital post-party, highlighting the dramatic transformation in his health.
Despite the profound impact on Sam and his family, his mother Katie harbored no resentment towards his friends, acknowledging that they were merely engaging in typical youthful behavior. Throughout Sam’s final years, Katie advocated for his care, initially facing challenges with the government’s disability insurance support. However, through persistent efforts from the family and friends, the decision to reduce funding was overturned, ensuring Sam received the necessary care.
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