Downward Spiral
Shortly after ingesting the slug, Ballard fell ill and was rushed to a nearby hospital. After a battery of tests, medical professionals revealed that the teen had been infected with rat lungworm, a parasite that is commonly found in snails and slugs that ingest rat feces. After the infection quickly reached Ballard’s brain, he lapsed into a coma for well over a YEAR (420 days) and was left a quadriplegic.