Chelsea Freeman Shares Progress on Son Max’s Remarkable Recovery at 4 Years Old
Chelsea Freeman shared an encouraging update regarding her son Maximus, aged 4, who was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition last year.
Max — who is the son of Chelsea and her husband, Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman — was taken to the hospital in July 2024 after he was unable to sit, stand, or walk. Chelsea, 33, and Freddie, 35, later revealed that Max had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves.
In an exclusive discussion with Us Weekly, Chelsea detailed how Max has made progress since his initial hospitalization.
“He’s shown incredible resilience,” Chelsea mentioned while speaking to Us through her collaboration with OFF! for Adults & Kids. “It’s been remarkable to witness. He continues to attend [physical therapy] twice a week. The recovery will take a full year for him to return to complete normalcy.”
Recalling this challenging experience, an emotional Chelsea described it as “the most frightening ordeal I’ve ever faced.”
“It was extremely intense,” Chelsea remarked. “We learned that health truly is everything. The experience was awful. He was completely paralyzed and on a ventilator. Now, just seeing him play outside is nothing short of a miracle given how ill he was.”
Max, who celebrated his 4th birthday in February, is doing much more than simply playing outside. Chelsea shared that he has already begun taking swim lessons and, recently, she and Freddie signed him up for Little League.
“A few months back, I wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to play baseball,” Chelsea confessed. “The path of recovery is uncertain.”
Not only is Max emulating his father — who was honored as World Series MVP in October after leading the Dodgers to victory over the New York Yankees in five games — but he is also swinging the bat just like his older brothers did before him.
Freddie Freeman and his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates won the 2024 World Series during a challenging period for the Freeman family. “It’s been a total emotional roller-coaster,” Chelsea Freeman shared in a postgame interview on Wednesday, October 30. “We were at our lowest point, and now being here today feels like the ultimate achievement.”
Besides Max, Chelsea and Freddie are also parents to sons Charlie, 8, and Brandon, 4, who was born three months before Max through surrogacy.
“It’s fantastic,” Chelsea expressed about watching her three boys on the baseball field. “Freddie played Little League as a child, so it’s great to see Charlie so passionate about baseball. Brandon is a lefty like Freddie, and Max is also very athletic. It’s incredibly special to witness them follow in their father’s footsteps.”
With baseball season approaching for both Freddie and the boys, Chelsea plans to use OFF! to keep her family protected from mosquitoes and other nuisances while they enjoy America’s Pastime.
“The kids actually enjoy applying it,” Chelsea laughed. “As baseball season begins and the weather warms up, so do the bugs and ticks… I love this product; it’s safe to use on my children. They don’t resist at all when I apply it. It’s an essential prevention method for me.”
