The average age for the illness to strike is between 18 and 35.

But for Willow Glen resident Helen Solinski, who was diagnosed in 2004, MS is not merely a jumble of facts or an illness without context. It is the little details in life that the disease affects that make it quite real for Solinski.

"I can't feel my son's hand in my hand because my sensory feeling is gone in my left arm," Solinski says.

Solinski's diagnosis came only months after her son Carson was born. The next year was filled with grieving and anxiety as Solinski wondered how the unpredictable disease would progress in her body. The disease could progress slowly, or she could soon be in a wheelchair.

But a television show gave Solinski renewed confidence. She saw Scott Johnson, founder of the Myelin Repair Foundation, talking about his work.

MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord and the optic nerves. MS strips the insulation off the wiring in the brain--otherwise known as myelin--and prevents the body's natural repair of it.

Therefore, it has been thought that finding a way to turn the body's natural repair mechanism back on would be an effective and helpful treatment for MS, one that could significantly improve a patient's quality of life. Based on this idea, Johnson founded the nonprofit foundation in 2002.

After the television show aired, Solinski did some research on the organization and found that it was headquartered in Saratoga.

"Finding the Myelin Repair Foundation gave me hope," Solinski says. "My volunteer passion just kind of stepped up."

Solinski has long been involved in the community, mainly volunteering on the board of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association. She also served as president from 2003 to 2005. She has now directed her efforts toward the foundation.

With only two staff members and 80 volunteers, the foundation welcomed Solinski's help. She became volunteer coordinator and human resources director.

March is National MS Education and Awareness Month, but Solinski devotes her time every month of the year to educate people on MS and help the foundation succeed.

The foundation is spearheaded by Johnson and chief operations officer Russell Bromley, who has a background in both pharmaceutical research and development and academic science.

Today, the Myelin Repair Foundation partners with 29 senior scientists/lead investigators, each of whom has a Ph.D. with about 25 to 30 years of experience. Each senior scientist also has a team of 15 to 25 researchers or graduate students.

Within the first year, the organization identified three therapeutic targets, or possible treatments.

"They're all working together to find this myelin repair; it's speeding up the process," Solinski says. "For me, anyway, I see a treatment a lot closer. It could help millions of people."

For more information, visit www.myelinrepair.org. To volunteer, contact Helen Solinski at 408.871.2410 or via email at helen@myelinrepair.org.

Jennifer McBride contributed to this story.