Back with Dodgers, emotional Freddie Freeman details son’s health scare

LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers early Monday afternoon — within the wake of a harrowing two-week stretch through which his 3-year-old son, Maximus, battled a uncommon neurological dysfunction — and noticed new T-shirts adorning each locker. They had been Dodger Blue, with Freeman’s identify and quantity on the again and the phrase “#MaxStrong” emblazoned on the entrance.

Moments later, all of the Dodgers’ coaches and gamers wore them throughout pregame exercises in solidarity with their star first baseman and his youngest baby.

“That is the primary time I cried right this moment,” Freeman stated. “It means loads.”

Freeman’s feelings returned throughout a 30-minute session with reporters as he detailed the ache of seeing his son endure. Max was recognized with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a situation through which the physique’s immune system assaults its nerves, inflicting weak point, numbness and, in Max’s case, paralysis.

Max woke on July 22 with a slight limp and went into full paralysis 4 days later, prompting Freeman to hurry residence from a sequence on the Houston Astros. By Wednesday, docs eliminated Max from his ventilator.

5 days after that, Freeman was again within the Dodgers’ lineup for the beginning of a three-game sequence with the Philadelphia Phillies, enjoying first base and batting third. He completed 1-for-4 within the Dodgers’ 5-3 win and was greeted by a protracted standing ovation earlier than his first at-bat. The Phillies joined the applause from their dugout. The pitch clock was stopped as he stepped out of the batter’s field, eliminated his helmet and waved to the gang, earlier than then touching his proper hand to his chest.

“I used to be doing OK tipping my hat after which my dad was sitting first row with my stepmom, and he was — I do not know if I might name it crying, however he was choked up and teary-eyed,” Freeman stated. “That is what actually received me going.”

Max spent eight days in a pediatric intensive care unit earlier than being discharged Saturday. The subsequent day, he started bodily remedy.

Max’s character is again, Freeman stated, “however he is received to discover ways to do just about every little thing.”

Most significantly, Max is predicted to make a full restoration.

“He did not deserve this,” Freeman stated. “Nobody deserves this, anyone who goes via this. It isn’t simply my household. We had been going each evening, and each room is stuffed within the [pediatric ICU]. And that’s heartbreaking. So many households are going via issues like this. We’re one of many fortunate ones that received Guillain-Barré that he might need a full restoration. There are children on the market who’re combating for his or her lives proper now. It simply places every little thing in perspective.

“I do know Dodger followers do not like this, however I’d gladly strike out with the bases loaded within the backside of the ninth inning in Recreation 7 of the World Sequence 300 million instances in a row than see that once more. However he is on his method. He is on his method. It may be a protracted highway.”

Max went from a noticeable limp to being unable to stroll on the evening of July 22. Docs initially recognized him with transient synovitis, a short lived irritation of the hip joint’s lining that’s widespread in younger youngsters. By the following day, Max could not sit up.

Late on the evening of July 24, Freeman’s spouse, Chelsea, contacted the Dodgers’ clubhouse supervisor, Alex Torres, in a panic. Max wasn’t consuming or ingesting and wanted to go to the hospital. Supervisor Dave Roberts waited for Freeman within the dugout in the course of the ninth inning of a recreation the Dodgers had been dropping to the visiting San Francisco Giants and informed him he wanted to go residence. Docs ran exams, put Max on an IV, gave him Toradol (a robust anti-inflammatory drug) and discharged him at 3:30 within the morning.

Freeman performed in a day recreation the next afternoon, boarded the staff’s flight to Houston and awaited phrase from Max’s follow-up appointment along with his doctor. The physician informed Chelsea that Max wanted to be transported to the hospital instantly, prompting Freeman to hurry to the airport and get the primary flight again out to Southern California. Inside 2½ hours, Max was on a ventilator to bolster his lungs as a result of the paralysis was affecting his diaphragm. He could not transfer any a part of his physique under his neck. Freeman discovered him in that state when he arrived on the emergency room at 10 p.m.

“I believe a whole lot of us are dad and mom in right here,” Freeman stated, his voice cracking whereas he clenched a towel close to his face. “To see one in every of your youngsters on a ventilator combating … it was exhausting.”

Momentum started to show the next morning. Docs started a spherical of intravenous immunoglobulin — a kind of immunotherapy used as a primary line of protection towards Guillain-Barré — at 6 a.m. One other dosage adopted 13 hours later. Lower than 10 minutes after that, Max started to shrug his shoulders, a significant signal that he may be turning a nook. By final Tuesday, there was discuss of pulling his ventilator; the next day — at exactly 10:46 p.m., as Freeman recalled — it occurred.

Max sat on his lap moments later.

“I am unable to inform you how good that felt, to have the ability to maintain my son once more,” Freeman stated. “That was a particular time, simply figuring out how exhausting he fought in these 5 days. You realize, when he was born, we had been attempting to determine a reputation; we needed to identify two youngsters at the moment. Chelsea stumbled on Maximus. I am like, ‘That is a robust identify.’ I did not know he was going to show me true inside 4 years of his life.”

Freeman expressed equal components disappointment and aid on Monday. There additionally was gratitude — to the slew of gamers and coaches all through the business who reached out, together with Milwaukee Brewers supervisor Pat Murphy and his gamers, who despatched a supportive video; to the Dodgers, who frequently informed him to take as a lot time away as he wanted; and, most notably, to the staff of docs and nurses at Youngsters’s Hospital of Orange County.

“I am right here 9 days after, and it appears like a miracle,” Freeman stated. “It actually does. So, I am unable to thank them sufficient.”

The precise reason behind Guillain-Barré syndrome is just not identified, and there’s no identified treatment. Most sufferers make a full restoration, in response to the Mayo Clinic, however some severe instances could be deadly. It may progress quickly, making early detection essential.

Max can sit up on his personal, which docs have stated provides him baseline for restoration. His arms are curled up, and he must relearn methods to stroll, however ultimately, Freeman believes, he’ll make a full restoration. After Monday’s recreation, Chelsea texted Freeman an image of Max doing tummy time and smiling.

“He appeared completely happy about it,” Freeman stated. “That was stunning to us.”

Freeman, understandably, did not watch any of the Dodgers’ video games in Houston final weekend, maintaining his consideration fixated on his son and hoping for even the slightest twitch. He lastly started to swing the bat once more Tuesday morning, largely to get free after spending the earlier 4 nights sleeping on a hospital sofa. He hit off a tee once more Thursday.

The subsequent day, Freeman talked to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman about coming again. His return Monday prompted the Dodgers to designate infielder Cavan Biggio for task.

Freeman would not understand how he’ll deal with enjoying, however his son’s progress is giving him consolation.

“I am right here as a result of issues are higher at residence,” Freeman stated. “He’s on his method for restoration. He is at residence completely happy. I stated, ‘Are you excited to look at Daddy on TV tonight?’ He stated, ‘Sure.'”

Freeman struck out in his first at-bat and referred to as it “one of the vital nice strikeouts I’ve ever had in my large league profession.” He got here again up within the third inning and lined a base hit to proper subject, igniting a “Freddie!” chant from an introduced crowd of 48,178 individuals — the identical chants he heard early within the 2021 season, when he was clearly nonetheless emotional about not signing again with the Atlanta Braves.

Upon reaching first base, Freeman wrapped Phillies star Bryce Harper in a hug. Harper, Freeman stated, “in all probability texted no less than 4 instances throughout 9 days, actually checking in.”

“I am simply very grateful for the baseball group, lifting up Max in prayer and love and assist,” Freeman stated. “It may be a protracted journey for him, however it’s a phenomenal factor that he is on the trail to being recovered.”