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The wife of former Braves star Freddie Freeman has shared a health update on their youngest son, Maximus, who was rushed to the hospital last week and diagnosed with a rare neurological condition.
In a social media post Thursday, his mother Chelsea Freeman said Maximus, 3, is battling a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. The child’s symptoms have included full-body paralysis, the post said.
According to Mayo Clinic, Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare autoimmune condition affecting the nerves. It can cause muscle weakness and paralysis. While extremely rare, Guillain-Barré syndrome affects about one out of every 100,000 people.
Maximus was taken to the hospital on July 26, according to a social media post by Chelsea Freeman. She has now reported on social media that on Wednesday the boy was removed from a ventilator that was helping him breathe. He’s now breathing on his own and remains hospitalized.
“These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives,” Chelsea wrote. “Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard. This is going to be a journey to recover, but we have faith that he will be completely healed. "
Freeman, now playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, flew with the Dodgers to Houston on Thursday, July 25, and went through his normal pregame routine on the following day. But he was scratched from the lineup and was headed back to Los Angeles after conferring with the organization, according to The Athletic. The club does not have a timetable for his return, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic.
The exact cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome is not known. But two-thirds of people who are diagnosed have had an infection in the six weeks before Guillain-Barré symptoms begin. The syndrome can appear after a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection, including COVID-19, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Guillain-Barré syndrome often begins with tingling and weakness starting in the feet and legs and spreading to the upper body and arms. Some people notice the first symptoms in the arms or face.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a serious condition that requires immediate hospitalization because it can worsen quickly. The sooner treatment is started, the better the chance of a complete recovery.
Complications can include trouble breathing because weakness or paralysis can spread to the muscles that control breathing. Nearly one in four people with Guillain-Barré syndrome need temporary help from a machine to breathe when they’re hospitalized for treatment.
WHAT TO KNOW
There no cure for Guillain-Barré syndrome. But according to The Mayo Clinic, these two types of treatments can speed recovery and reduce symptoms:
- Plasma exchange, also known as plasmapheresis. Plasma is the liquid portion of part of your blood. In a plasma exchange, plasma is removed and separated from your blood cells. The blood cells are then put back into your body, which makes more plasma to replace what was removed. Plasmapheresis may work by ridding plasma of certain antibodies that contribute to the immune system’s attack on the peripheral nerves.
- Immunoglobulin therapy. Immunoglobulin containing healthy antibodies from blood donors is given through a vein. High doses of immunoglobulin can block the damaging antibodies that may contribute to Guillain-Barré syndrome.
