"I was getting weaker and weaker and more clumsy," said Sperger, who was finally diagnosed with MS in her 50s.
Now 71, the League City resident is an avid fundraiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which held its annual walk at several locations across the region this weekend. Sperger rode her motorized wheelchair across the finish line at Sam Houston Park on Sunday morning with about 1,000 other participants.
"I'm supporting the MS Society with all of my heart and all of my being because we have to find a cure," she said.
Multiple sclerosis affects the nervous system, resulting in numbness in the body, coordination difficulties, vision problems and fatigue. There's no known cure for the degenerative disease, and the cause, too, is unclear, though a defect in the immune system likely plays a role.
About 400,000 Americans report having the disease, according to the society. Most are diagnosed as young adults, and women are two to three times more likely than men to develop it.
The walk series throughout Texas this year has raised $1.
1 million for research and education.
"Not only is it the stream of revenue that helps support our mission, it's the awareness (of the disease)," said Mark Neagli, president of the group's regional chapter.
While some of the participants in both the one-mile and 5K downtown walk used wheelchairs or power scooters to navigate the Allen Parkway course, others walked or ran, some with dogs or children in tow.
Many wore T-shirts and shorts despite the chilly temperatures.
Some of the walkers were MS patients who suffer from "invisible" symptoms, explained Jill Wasserstrom, a 43-year-old stay-at-home mom who was diagnosed with the disease seven years ago. She has had vision problems and fatigue, she said, but is happy to be "the healthiest sick person anybody will ever meet.
"
Nearly 120 adults and children walked for Wasserstrom's team, which raised $6,000 for the society.
"I just kept telling them to come walk and they kept sending me checks. People are so generous," she said.
"The money is awesome, but that to me is secondary ...
I have such awesome friends and family.
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