Dodgers star first baseman Freddie Freeman and his wife, Chelsea, endured a scary episode last year when their 3-year-old son, Maximus, was diagnosed with a rare neurological illness called Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which the body's immune system attacks its nerves. Thankfully, with treatment at the Children's Hospital of Orange County, Maximus was able to return home and is expected to make a full recovery.
According to an ESPN report, the couple is donating $1 million to CHOC after seeing the great work the doctors and staff do there to help children and families facing medical challenges.
"Seeing every room full in the PICU each and every day impacted Chelsea and I deeply," Freeman told ESPN. "Getting to know the doctors, nurses and care teams and seeing how they show up each day to bring healing and hope to kids and their families was inspiring. CHOC saved Maximus' life."
Maximus began to experience paralysis that moved up to his shoulders and he was taken to the emergency room last July. He had to be ventilated and fed through tubes. But within a few days, he started making a strong recovery and was able to go home.
Freeman, who would be hobbled by an ankle injury during the postseason, went on to hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history, helping the Dodgers win their first full-season World Series championship since 1988.
But he said that while he was grateful and honored to be part of baseball history in that way, life was put into perspective a couple of months earlier.
"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.
Now, not only is Maximus recovering well, but Freeman and his family are able to help other children and families who face such adversity by donating to CHOC.