LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers early Monday afternoon — in the wake of a harrowing two-week stretch that saw his 3-year-old son, Maximus, battle a rare neurological disorder — and saw new T-shirts adorning every locker. They were Dodger Blue, with Freeman’s name and number on the back and the phrase “#MaxStrong” emblazoned on the front.
Moments later, all of the Dodgers’ coaches and players wore them during pregame workouts in solidarity with their star first baseman and his youngest child.
“That’s the first time I cried today,” Freeman said. “It means a lot.”
Freeman’s emotions returned later during a 30-minute session with reporters as he detailed the pain of seeing his 3-year-old son suffer. Max was diagnosed with Guillen-Barré syndrome, a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its nerves, causing weakness, numbness and, in Max’s case, paralysis.
Max woke up two Mondays ago with a slight limp and went into full paralysis five days later, prompting Freeman to rush home from a series in Houston. By the following Wednesday, July 31, doctors removed Max from his ventilator.
Five days after that, Freeman was back in the Dodgers’ lineup for the start of a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies, playing first base and batting third.
Max spent eight days in a pediatric intensive care unit before being discharged on Saturday. The following day, he began physical therapy.
Max’s personality is back, Freeman said. “But he’s gotta learn how to do pretty much everything.”
Most importantly, Max is expected to make a full recovery.
“He didn’t deserve this,” Freeman added. “No one deserves this; anybody who goes through this. It’s not just my family. We were going every night, and every room is filled in the [pediatric ICU]. And that is heartbreaking. So many families are going through things like this. We’re one of the lucky ones that got Guillen-Barré that he might have a full recovery. There are kids out there who are fighting for their lives right now. It just puts everything in perspective.
“I know Dodger fans don’t like this, but I would gladly strike out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the World Series 300 million times in a row than see that again. But he’s on his way. He’s on his way. It’s gonna be a long road.”
