Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman remains with his family after his 3-year-old son was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Freeman’s wife, Chelsea Freeman, wrote on Instagram Thursday evening that their son Maximus was brought back to the hospital last Friday after he “rapidly declined and went into full body paralysis.”
According to previous updates from the family, Maximus had suffered a viral infection while they were in Arlington, Texas, for the All-Star Game. He went to the hospital later in July and was diagnosed with transient synovitis, a temporary condition that causes hip inflammation and typically occurs in young boys.
When he was initially discharged from a California hospital last week, the Freemans were told to return if Maximus’ condition didn’t improve over the next 48 hours.
Guillain-Barre is a rare condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its own nerves, often causing numbness or paralysis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“After many tests, Max is battling a severe case of Guillain-Barre syndrome,” Chelsea Freeman wrote. “A rare neurological condition that is especially rare in children. These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives.
“Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard. This is going to be a journey to recover, but we have faith that he will be completely healed. We have been blown away by his improvements in the last 48 hours. Maximus was excavated from his breathing tube and taken off of the ventilator yesterday, which is a huge win for us.”
Freddie Freeman has not played since July 25. He traveled with the Dodgers to Houston for a series against the Astros in late July, but left the team to return home when he received news of his son’s condition.
The Dodgers later placed him on MLB’s family emergency list, which carries a maximum of seven days. He can be moved to the restricted list if his absence lasts more than seven days.