Having a child endure even a minor injury is painful for any parent, but for Freddie Freeman, his wife Chelsea, and their son Maximus, the struggle was far more severe. Maximus’s health rapidly declined, and it essentially sent him into full-blown paralysis. This is when Freddie Freeman, the Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman, packed up his belongings and flew back home.

This is the reason he hasn’t featured with the team for a week. Family first, right? Three-year-old Max was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome and was kept in the pediatric intensive care unit where, after plenty of trials, he finally recovered well enough to go home, back with his family. However, this isn’t the end of the tribulations, as the road ahead is long and tough.

Freddie Freeman’s son battles rare syndrome and returns home

MLB star Freddie Freeman’s wife Chelsea Freeman said, “These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives.” The rare condition has an array of setbacks, and for Max, it was a severe kind. It’s an auto-immune condition where the body attacks the nerves and can cause paralysis, according to Mayo Clinic. Thankfully, Max was taken to the hospital on time and the doctors could reinforce his lungs. On Wednesday, the breathing tube was removed, and he was taken off the ventilator too, as per Chelsea’s update.

On Sunday, another update came in and Chelsea gave splendid news that the three-year-old was finally discharged and they could finally go home together. She said, “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 re-learn how to walk. But we are so thankful to have our family back together.

She shared her gratitude for the doctors and nurses who helped them through this difficult time. In her post, Chelsea wrote, “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.” Fans and even social media stars like Amanda Cerny showered their love and gratitude about young Max making it back home under the post. Although the road ahead is going to be rather difficult for them, especially Max, Chelsea emphasized that it’s going to be a journey to complete recovery, and she has faith that he will be healed.

What is Guillain-Barre syndrome? 

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. The symptoms at first are tingling and a certain weakness that starts in the feet and then the legs and then it spreads to the upper body according to the Mayo Clinic. After this, paralysis can occur, which was seen with Maximus. His entire body went into paralysis as per the updates given by Chelsea Freeman.

If you were to ask why it affected Max, the reasons are unknown. It is rare, as told by doctors, and even rarer for a child to be diagnosed with this. The Mayo Clinic also cites that while the exact cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome remains unknown, two-thirds of patients experience symptoms of an infection up to six weeks before the onset of Guillain-Barré symptoms. However, special blood treatments are available and while it can’t take away the disease, it can help ease the symptoms. 

Initially, this is what happened with Max. His condition, as quoted by his mother, was “rapidly declining” leading to a full-blown paralysis. It was critical, but with immediate medical assistance and treatments, his condition improved. Chelsea had updated in between when Max was showing improvements that even she couldn’t believe, posting, “Feeding tube came out yesterday. I’m so proud of Max. The first few days we had so many scary setbacks, but he has been improving so quickly. I cannot believe it. He blows me away.”

While these treatments don’t cure the disease, they help manage and alleviate the symptoms. Max is now comfortable with family, but the road to recovery is still long. It can take months if not years, so, patience is needed, but the good news is that the people affected by Guillain-Barre Syndrome can typically recover within six months of getting their treatment, if under proper care. With that said, hopes are for young Max to get well soon.