D*ath by Eating a Slug

⚠️TW/ In 2010, Australian 19 year old Sam Ballard, was having a drink with friends. A slug came crawling accross. A conversation went by: should i eat it? Sam asked. And he did, which eventually caused his d3ath.

A couple of days after eating the slug, Sam started to feel ill. He began to complain about severe pain in his legs. Then, he started vomiting and experiencing dizzy spells. When his condition worsened and he fell weak, his mother rushed him to the hospital.

Sam Ballard had become infected with rat lungworm disease, a condition caused by a parasitic worm usually found in rodents — though it can transfer to slugs and snails if they eat rodent excrement. When Ballard ate the live slug, it transferred to him.

Sam went into a 420 day coma. After that, Sam’s paralysis meant he now required 24-hour care, seven days a week. He was prone to seizures, unable to go to the bathroom without help or control his body temperature. He spent three years in the hospital before being released, just able to operate a motorized wheelchair.
Sam passed away in November 2018.

#samballard