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Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was noticeably absent from the team’s eight games since July 25 due to a family emergency. In a press conference after his return, the 34-year-old shared the harrowing ordeal his family endured during his temporary leave.
Freeman, who is a father of three boys, said his youngest son, 3-year-old Max, had a medical emergency that left him and his wife Chelsea extremely worried. The entire family had attended the All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, in mid-July, and afterward, all three of his sons got sick. They assumed it was just a bug, and while his two elder sons recovered, Max still felt ill a week later. The couple also noticed that their youngest had difficulty walking on July 22.
The initial findings showed that Max had transient synovitis, also known as irritable hip, an inflammation of the hip joint that typically goes away in a couple of weeks. The following day, however, Max could no longer sit up on his own. His symptoms progressed until he was brought to the emergency room for further testing.
Max was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition
Max was given an IV drip and medication to help with the pain, and he was discharged from the hospital. A day later, Max’s pediatrician told the Freemans that their son should be brought back to the hospital immediately, as his test results showed that he had Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system and causes muscle weakness and paralysis.
According to Freeman, his son’s symptoms rapidly progressed. Max had lost feeling in his feet, and the paralysis moved up to his shoulders within days, which made it difficult for the little boy to breathe on his own. He was admitted to the ICU where he had a feeding tube and was put on a ventilator. Thankfully, he was brought to the hospital on time and began showing improvements a couple of days after his admission. On Aug. 3, Chelsea posted an update to her Instagram where she shared that Max’s feeding tube had been removed. Max was finally discharged after spending eight days in the ICU.
The little boy is back in high spirits but needs physical therapy to learn how to walk again. It’s unknown how long it will take for Max to heal, but he is expected to make a full recovery.
Freddie Freeman is back on the field
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team fully supports Freeman and understood that he had to take time away from baseball to be with his family at such a crucial time. On his first day back after his absence, Freeman became was moved to tears when his teammates showed their support by donning “#MaxStrong” shirts during their pre-game activities.
Before his first at-bat at the Dodger Stadium in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Freeman received a standing ovation from the crowd. He also hugged Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper, who he said texted him several times during his absence to see how he was doing. “I’m just very thankful for the baseball community, lifting up Max in prayer and love and support. It’s going to be a long journey for him, but it’s a beautiful thing that he’s on the path to being recovered,” Freeman said.