Los Angeles Dodgers ace first baseman Freddie Freeman and his wife of ten years, Chelsea, had quite a scare recently regarding their three-year-old son's health. Fortunately, the Freemans made a joyous announcement that their little boy, Maximus, is now doing well at home after being treated in the pediatric ICU for over a week, according to ESPN.
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What Happened To The Freemans' Little Boy Maximus?
Maximus Has Guillain-Barre Syndrome
In an earlier Instagram post at the start of Maximus's ordeal, Freddie and Chelsea Freeman wrote, "Last Friday, Max rapidly declined and went into full body paralysis. We are very fortunate to have gotten him to the hospital in time so they could reinforce his lungs. Freddie was in Houston at the time and rushed to the first flight back home. After many tests, Max is battling a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. A rare neurological condition that is especially rare in children. These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives."
At that point, the couple added, he was being taken off of a ventilator and showed significant improvement, which must have been a very big relief for the Freeman family. They have two other young sons in addition to Maximus.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Explained
It Can Be Very Serious
Per the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website, Guillain-Barre Syndrome "is a temporary disorder that affects the nerves in the body. GBS can result in muscle weakness, pain, sensory loss and even temporary paralysis of the face, eye, chest, and limb muscles. Paralysis of the chest muscles can lead to breathing problems."
Most youngsters do recover from GBS. However, there is no cure for it, and the condition can be "life-threatening." What causes it is unclear, although it could be an autoimmune issue.
GBS is extremely rare. It "affects about 6,000 to 9,100 people in the U.S. each year." It can strike individuals of any age.
Now The Good News About Maximus!
Things Are Heading In The Right Direction For Him
Maximus is getting better, baseball icon Freddie and wife Chelsea Freeman posted on Instagram. They wrote in part, "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. Thank you God for this miracle. Also, thank you to our incredible team of doctors and angel nurses for taking such good care of our boy...."
We are thrilled to hear about Maximus's progress and wish him, Freddie, and Chelsea the very best!
