In the middle of a high-stakes 2024 season, Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman suddenly vanished from the lineup. It wasn't an injury or a trade. It was every parent's worst nightmare. His three-year-old son, Maximus, had effectively become paralyzed overnight.
The Freddie Freeman son illness quickly dominated headlines, not just because of Freddie’s status as a future Hall of Famer, but because of the terrifying, "it-could-happen-to-anyone" nature of the diagnosis. It started with a limp. Within days, Max was on a ventilator in the pediatric ICU, fighting for his life against a rare condition called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).
The Week Baseball Didn't Matter
Most people think of professional athletes as indestructible, or at least shielded by their wealth and fame. But watching Freddie return to the dugout in August 2024, visibly shaking and wiping tears with a towel, reminded everyone that a Dodgers jersey doesn't make you immune to tragedy.
The timeline was brutal. During the All-Star break in Texas, the whole family caught a viral bug. Standard stuff for a house with three boys. But while the others bounced back, Max didn't. He started limping on July 22. Initially, doctors thought it was transient synovitis—a fancy term for temporary hip inflammation that sometimes follows a cold.
They were wrong.
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By the time the Dodgers reached Houston on July 26, Max’s condition had spiraled. He stopped eating. He couldn't sit up. Freddie was in a different state when the news hit: Max was going into full-body paralysis.
Understanding the Diagnosis: What is GBS?
Guillain-Barré syndrome is basically an internal "friendly fire" incident. Your immune system, usually the good guy, gets confused after an infection and starts chewing on your nerves. It’s incredibly rare, affecting about one in 100,000 people, and even rarer in toddlers like Max.
- The Progression: It starts in the feet and moves up. For Max, the "ascending paralysis" was terrifyingly fast. It hit his shoulders and diaphragm in four days.
- The Crisis: When it hits the diaphragm, you can't breathe. That’s how Max ended up with a feeding tube and a ventilator.
- The Treatment: Doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) used IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin). These are proteins that help stop the immune system’s attack.
"I would gladly strike out every time for the rest of my career than see that again," Freddie told reporters later. Honestly, you can't blame him. Seeing your child through a glass window in the ICU changes a person.
The Long Road to 2026
By early 2025, the narrative shifted from survival to recovery. Chelsea Freeman, Freddie’s wife, has been the primary source of updates for fans. She shared that by March 2025, Maximus was about 80% recovered.
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He had to relearn everything. Imagine a three-year-old having to learn how to sit up, how to hold a fork, and how to walk all over again. It’s grueling. But kids are resilient. By the time the 2025 season was in full swing, Max was back to his pre-illness weight and regaining his reflexes.
Fast forward to the start of 2026. You might have noticed Freddie pulled out of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for "personal reasons." While he hasn't explicitly linked it to Max's health, it's clear the family is prioritizing stability. After a trauma like that, who can blame a guy for wanting to be home for bedtime stories instead of traveling for exhibition games?
What Most People Get Wrong
There’s a misconception that because Freddie is back to hitting home runs, everything is "back to normal." GBS doesn't always work like that. There can be lingering fatigue and nerve sensitivity. The Freemans have turned this nightmare into a mission, though. In May 2025, they donated $1 million to CHOC, the hospital that saved Max’s life.
They aren't just moving on; they’re trying to make sure the next family that deals with a sudden pediatric paralysis has the same resources they did.
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Actionable Takeaways for Parents
If you’re reading this because you’re worried about your own child, keep these expert-backed signs in mind. GBS is rare, but early detection is the only thing that matters.
- Watch the "Ascending" Pattern: If a child has weakness that starts in the toes and moves to the knees over 24-48 hours, go to the ER. Don't wait for a pediatrician appointment.
- Post-Viral Vigilance: Most GBS cases follow a simple cold or stomach bug by 2-4 weeks. If your kid seems "off" or clumsy after recovering from a virus, pay attention.
- Trust Your Gut: The Freemans were told it was a hip issue. They knew it was worse. If your child stops eating or becomes lethargic, demand more tests.
- Support Systems: If you find yourself in a medical crisis, look into the GBS-CIDP Foundation International. They provide the roadmap the Freemans had to build from scratch.
Maximus is now four years old and, by all accounts, a fireball. The Freddie Freeman son illness could have been a tragedy. Instead, it’s become a story about a kid who fought harder than any MVP, and a family that realized some things are much bigger than a game played on grass.
Keep an eye on the GBS-CIDP Foundation website for local chapters if you want to get involved in advocacy or support. You can also follow Chelsea Freeman's social media for the most direct, real-time updates on Max's ongoing physical therapy milestones.