In July 2024, player of Los Angeles Dodgers Freddie Vrijman left for the team’s series opener against the Houston Astros after his young son Max was rushed to the hospital due to a medical emergency. Max was later diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.

What happened to Freddie Freeman’s son?

During MLB All-Star Week in July 2024, Max developed a viral infection. When Max could no longer stand or walk without some pain, Freddie and his wife decided Chelsea Vrijmanrushed the little man to the hospital.

“Please say a prayer for Maximus,” Chelsea wrote via her Instagram Stories at the time. “Dr. says he developed transient synovitis from the viral infection he had during All-Star Week. Day 3 of not being able to sit, stand or walk… Any tips for helping toddlers take/stay on medication? He’s normally good at taking medicine, but he keeps spitting it out.”

However, the couple later revealed a very different diagnosis.

“Last Friday, Max deteriorated rapidly and became completely paralyzed. We are very fortunate that we were able to get him to the hospital in time so that they could strengthen his lungs. Freddie was in Houston at the time and rushed to catch the first flight back home,” Freddie and Chelsea shared in a joint Instagram post on August 1, 2024. “After many tests, Max is suffering from a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. A rare neurological disorder that mainly occurs in children. These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives. Maximus is such a special boy and he fought SO hard.”

They continued: “This will be a recovery journey, but we are confident he will make a full recovery. We are impressed with his improvements over the past 48 hours. Maximus was removed from his breathing tube and taken off life support yesterday, which is a huge victory for us. We believe in the power of prayer and have witnessed a miracle in his recovery. Please continue to remember Maximus and our family in your prayers. We really appreciate and appreciate all your support.”

What is Guillain-Barré Syndrome?

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack the nerves, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although the exact cause is unknown, two-thirds of people with Guillain-Barré show symptoms of an infection in the weeks before the syndrome occurs.

The Mayo Clinic added that most people recover completely from Guillain-Barré syndrome, but there have been some cases where serious illness has developed.

How is Freddie Freeman’s son doing now?

In October 2024, Chelsea gave fans an update on how Max is recovering since his diagnosis.

“Max’s neurologist is VERY VERY VERY happy with how he is progressing. Today was the first time that Dr. Crawford saw Max walking. We are still waiting for his reflexes to come back, but that usually takes the longest,” Chelsea wrote on October 10, 2024 with a photo of herself and Max. “A few weeks ago we talked about having Max fitted for a leg brace. . But he’s doing so well that we might be able to avoid them. With the help of a lot of PT, Max is getting closer to his normal, rambunctious self. Thank you again for the prayers and well wishes for our family.”