Sam Ballard kept a copy of the Dr Seuss book Oh the Places You'll go close to him during the eight years he struggled with severe disabilities after eating a garden slug on a dare.
The children's classic was given to him soon after the fateful 2010 incident when Sam was just 19, and over the years as he struggled with his disabilities, friends and family would read it to him, willing him to make the best of the challenges that he faced.
And as his family and friends said a final goodbye at his funeral on Thursday, the book was read one last time.
'You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose,' friend Mike Scheasby read from the book.
'You're on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where you go.'
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Sam Ballard, 29, was mourned by hundreds at his funeral in Sydney after he was left severely disabled from the backyard dare in 2010. He died last Friday after an eight-year battle
Sam's mother Katie was joined by friends, family and Sam's doctors and nurses from the Royal North Shore Hospital
The once promising rugby star's coffin is taken out of the back of a hearse by his mates
Sam, 29, died last Friday after a brave and determined fight. He was with mates at a backyard in Sydney's north when a slug crawled past, and the group joked and dared him to eat it.
But rather than an innocent prank, Sam contracted rat lungworm, a parasite usually found in rodents, but slugs and snails can become infected with as well.
He spent 420 days in a coma before waking with severe brain damage.
But at his funeral service, Sam's family insisted the mates with him that night must never feel any blame.
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Share'We don't want you to feel any guilt about what happened that night,' his brother Joshua said.
Instead, Joshua praised 'Team Ballard' - the army of friends who rallied around Sam and continued to support him until his death.
'Your friendship to Sam was extraordinary,' Joshua said.
Mourners heard that Sam was a promising junior athlete and gifted rugby player before the accident.
Journalist Lisa Wilkinson (pictured), who earlier this year interviewed Sam and his mum Katie, was among the mourners
Wilkinson hugs Sam's close friend Jimmy Galvin outside the funeral service on Thursday
Sam spent 420 days in a coma at Royal North Shore hospital before waking with severe brain damage
The athletics coach at Barker College, where Sam completed his high schooling, told the congregation that Sam regularly showed courage on the sports field.
'But that was nothing compared to the courage he showed over the next eight years,' Matt Macoustra said.
Sam's mother Katie, sister Melanie and brother Joshua were joined by hundreds of friends, as well as Sam's doctors and nurses from Royal North Shore Hospital.
Lewis Macken, the head of the hospital's intensive care unit, spoke about how Sam's 765 days in hospital had inspired his carers.
Also among the mourners were Sam's former girlfriend, actress Anna Bamford, and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
Wilkinson revealed this week on The Project that the last words Sam said to his mother Katie, who dedicated her life to caring for her son, were: 'I love you.'
Earlier this year his mates Jimmy Galvin and Michael Scheasby told The Project of the fateful night that changed their lives.
Close friends of Sam embrace each other outside the funeral service
Hundreds of mourners packed into the small chapel at Macquarie Park, in Sydney's north
Sam's mother Katie, sister Mel and brother Josh arrive at Thursday's celebration of his life
Mourners gather outside the Palm Chapel in Macquarie Park Crematorium on Thursday
Sam's family embrace at the funeral on Thursday as they bid farewell alongside hundreds of others
'We were sitting over here having a bit of a red wine appreciation night, trying to act as grown up and a slug came crawling across here,' Mr Galvin said.
'The conversation came up, should I eat it? Off Sam went. Bang. That's how it happened.'
Before the accident, Sam's mother described how she saw her son as 'invincible'.
In a Facebook post from 2011, Ms Ballard said she hoped her son would walk again.
'Sam is doing really well. He is still the same cheeky Sam, and laughs a lot. He will walk and talk again (thank god) but the time factor is was we don't know,' she wrote.
She later said the accident completely changed his life.
'It's devastated, changed his life forever, changed my life forever. It's huge. The impact is huge,' she said.
Also among the crowd was actress Anna Bamford (left), a former girlfriend of Sam's
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