A man dies 8 years after swallowing a snail after a challenge that left him paralyzed

Sydney, Australia – An Australian died Friday amidst his family and friends, eight years after swallowing a garden snail on a challenge from his friends at a party in their backyard.

>> Read more new trends

Sam Ballard, 28, a student and rugby athlete, who was 19 when he ate the snail in 2010, was paralyzed after being infected with rat lungworm, a rare parasitic infection linked to the disease. snail, according to The Independent.

Ballard fell into a coma for 420 days after developing a type of meningitis, which most people are recovering, but he did not, suffering from a serious brain infection, reported Sky News.

He was paralyzed from the waist and confined to a wheelchair.

He died after years of medical complications.

© 2018 Cox Media Group.