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A man who has eaten a garden slug as part of a challenge has died.
Sam Ballard, 28, became a paraplegic and suffered for eight years after eating the slug at a party at the age of 19.
He lost his fight for life on Friday and his last words to his mother were: "I love you".
His friend Jimmy Galvin had previously revealed that he had swallowed the slug at a party in 2010.
He told the project: "We were sitting, spending the night enjoying the red wine, trying to play the adults and a slug went through.
"The conversation was started:" Should I eat it? Stroke. That's how it happened.
A few hours later, he fell seriously ill and it was later discovered that he had been infected with rat lungworm.
As a result, he contracted a brain infection and fell into a coma for 420 days after contracting eosinophilic meningoencephalitis – a branch of meningitis.
Sam, who was once a promising rugby player, spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair, continuing to suffer convulsions and the "joke" of a split second left him a quadriplegic.
Another friend, Michael Sheasby, described the first time he entered Sam's hospital room after the accident.
He said: "When I came in, he was very very skinny and there were cables everywhere – it was a shock."
Katie Ballard, Sam's mother, says she does not blame the boys for being ridiculous, nor her son for doing it.
She said that the boys were just "buddies" and she could not hold them responsible.
But before that, Katie had confessed that Sam's illness was hard on the family, saying, "It's devastated, he's changed his life forever, changed my life forever.
"The impact is huge."
When Sam was released from Sydney wheelchair hospital three years after falling ill, his companions were determined to be there for him.
Through fundraising events, 'Team Ballard' has been able to raise enough money to pay for the care he needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In 2016, Katie Ballard applied for membership in the National Disability Insurance Plan (NDIS) when Sam became eligible for a £ 300,000 package.
Last September, without notice, the NDIS sent a message to Ms Ballard to tell her that a review of her plan had reduced her allowance to around £ 75,000.
What is the rat lung worm?
Angiostrongylus cantonensis – or rat lungworm – is found in rodents, but snails or slugs can be infected when they eat rat feces.
Most people do not develop any symptoms after the parasite is ingested and recover completely 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 including headache, stiff neck, tingling or painful sensations in the skin, low fever, nausea and vomiting.
If you think you have swallowed the parasite, consult a doctor who will examine you and ask you questions about your symptoms, movements and exposures.
You could have blood tests, as well as meningitis tests.
Usually, the parasite dies over time, even without treatment.
Even people who develop eosinophilic meningitis do not usually need antibiotics.
Learn more here.
The massive reduction in funding was unexplained and day and night care means that the Ballard family is heavily indebted and currently owes a £ 25,000 nursing service.
NDIS said it was "working closely with the Ballard family" to find a solution and increase support for Sam.
Before the accident, Katie had called her son invincible.
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