A man who ate a garden slug as part of a dare has died.

Sam Ballard, 28, became a paraplegic and suffered for eight years after eating the slug at a party when he was 19.

He lost his fight for life as a result of medical complications on Friday and his last words to his mother were ‘I love you’.

Sam Ballard as a teenager before the incident (Picture: Facebook)

Jimmy Galvin (left) was with Sam Ballard, now 28 (right) when he swallowed a garden slug at a friend’s party (Picture: Ten)

His friend Jimmy Galvin previously revealed that he swallowed the slug while at a party in 2010.


He told The Project: ”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.’

Within hours he fell seriously ill and it was later discovered that he had been infected with rat lungworm.

Sam swallowed a slug and within a matter of hours he was seriously ill

He died on Friday after eight years of pain and suffering

As a result he suffered in infection on his brain and fell into a coma for 420 days after contracting eosinophilic meningoencephalitis – a strand of meningitis.

Sam, who was once a promising rugby player, spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair, continuing to suffer seizures and the split-second ‘prank’ left him quadriplegic.

Another friend, Michael Sheasby, described the first time he walked into Sam’s hospital room after the accident.

He said: ‘When I walked in, he was very very gaunt, and there were cables everywhere – it was a big shock.’

Sam in physiotherapy with his mother (Picture: Today AU)

Katie Ballard, Sam’s mother, says she doesn’t blame the boys for their silly dare, or her son for taking them up on it.

She said the boys were just ‘being mates’ and she couldn’t hold them at fault.

But Katie previously admitted Sam’s illness has hit the family hard, saying: ‘It’s devastated, changed his life forever, changed my life forever.

‘The impact is huge.’

When Sam was released from a Sydney hospital in a wheelchair three years after becoming ill, his mates were determined to be there for him.

Mr Ballard fell ill and was told by doctors he had been infected with rat lungworm (Picture: Ten)

Through fundraising events, ‘Team Ballard’ managed to raise enough money to pay for the 24/7 care their friend required.

In 2016, Katie Ballard applied to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) when Sam became eligible for a £300,000 package.

Last September, without warning, the NDIS texted Ms Ballard to say a review of his plan had slashed his allocation to around £75,000.

What is rat lungworm? Angiostrongylus cantonensis – or rat lungworm – is found in rodents, but snails or slugs can become infected when they eat the faeces of rats. Most people will develop no symptoms at all from ingesting the parasite and will fully recover without treatment. In extremely rare cases – like Sam’s – it can cause an infection of the brain. In his case, the infection caused a rare type of meningitis with symptoms that include a headache, stiff neck, tingling or painful feelings in the skin, low-grade fever, nausea, and vomiting. If you think you have swallowed the parasite, you should see a doctor who will examine you and ask about any symptoms, travel and exposures you’ve had. You might have some blood tests, as well as tests for meningitis. Usually the parasite dies over time, even without treatment. Even people who develop eosinophilic meningitis usually don’t need antibiotics. Find out more here.

The massive funding cut was without explanation and around-the-clock care means the Ballard family are heavily in debt and currently owe a nursing service £25,000.

The NDIS said it had been ‘working closely with the Ballard family’ to find a resolution and increase Sam’s support package.

Before the accident, Katie described her son as a ‘invincible’.

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