Freddie Freeman, the All-Star first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently announced that his son Max has returned home after spending eight days in Pediatric ICU. Naturally, fans want to know what happened to Max and how he is now.
So, here’s what we have learned about Max’s illness.
What illness does Freddie Freeman’s son suffer from?
The doctors have diagnosed three-year-old Max with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which is a rare neurological disorder that leads to an individual’s immune system attacking part of their peripheral nervous system. Symptoms include weakness, numbness, sensation changes, and issues with digestion and/or bladder control. Although the condition doesn’t have a cure, it has highly effective treatments (via National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke).
The symptom in Max’s case was paralysis. As per an Instagram post shared by Freeman’s wife, Chelsea, on July 24, Max had a slight limp when he woke up in the morning. Only four days later, he was fully paralyzed. He was admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit so his lungs could re-inforced. On Wednesday, July 31, his breathing tube was taken out, and he was removed from the ventilator.
In their joint Sunday, August 4 post on Instagram, Freeman and Chelsea revealed that their youngest son was finally home. “After 8 long days in the Pediatric ICU we are officially HOME! Max still has a long road ahead of him to regain his strength and relearn how to walk,” they shared in the caption of a photo with Max at the hospital. “But we are so thankful to have our family back together.”
The post continued, “After 8 long days in the Pediatric ICU we are officially HOME! Max still has a long road ahead of him to regain his strength and relearn how to walk. But we are so thankful to have our family back together.”
At the time of Max’s hospital admission, Freeman was in Houston, Texas, for a series with Houston Astros and immediately returned home. He rejoined the Dodgers on Monday, August 5, and took part in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
