Three months after Freddie Freeman was placed on the family emergency list when his 3-year-old son fell ill, he was named the World Series MVP. After the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games to win their second title in five years, Freeman was asked about his son Maximus Freeman’s battle with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). What he said about that journey has parents everywhere applauding the father of three, ESPN reported.
“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,” he said of watching his son be hospitalized because of the rare autoimmune disorder.
“But he’s on his way,” Freeman continued, adding an update on Max’s journey. “It’s going to be a long road.” On social media, people praised Freeman for the way he handled it all. “As a die hard Yankee fan, Freddie Freeman gained a fan in me,” one comment read. “The way you love your family and the way you played through it all. Absolutely incredible. This Yankee fan is now a fan of yours. Prayers for Max.”
“Nobody deserved MVP more than Freeman, he’s been through a lot and was able to overcome a lot this postseason,” another commenter shared. “He’s not just an amazing baseball player and World Series champion but also an incredible father,” another comment read.” On July 27, Freeman was placed on the family emergency list to be by his son’s side. Freeman’s wife, Chelsea Freeman, shared updates with the public as they received them. She announced Max was diagnosed with GBS in an Instagram post.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is “a rare neurological condition that is especially rare in children.” According to the Mayo Clinic, GBS is “a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. It can cause weakness, numbness or paralysis.” Prior to Max’s diagnosis, Chelsea Freeman explained that their son “rapidly declined and went into full body paralysis. We are very fortunate to have gotten him to the hospital in time so they could reinforce his lungs.” At the time, she called the last several days “the hardest and scariest days of our lives.” “Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard,” the mom shared. “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.” Freeman hit .300 with four homers — including a walkoff grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 1 against the Yankees — and 12 RBIs in being named World Series MVP.
