DESPITE SETBACKS, STUNTWOMAN HAS FAITH.

Byline: Posted by Minerva A. Hernandez

valleynews.com user

As Easter has just passed, I couldn't think of a better time to tell Desiree Ayres' story -- a daring and courageous woman who overcame difficult times through a "leap" of faith.

Desiree comes from a long line of movie and television stunt performers. At a very early age, her father instilled in her that the word "can't" was not to be part of her vocabulary. Her father, Hubie Kerns, was none other then the stunt double for Adam West, as well as the stunt coordinator on the TV show Batman.

Having the right connections through her father and brother, she became one of the top stuntwomen in the business.

However, there was a "slim" problem: In order for her to double for the beautiful actresses, she had to lose weight. She longed to play the parts that would bring her success, but that wouldn't happen unless she was in the right shape that the parts required. That led to low self-esteem, and she began struggling with the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia.

Desiree got the parts all right, performing stunts for popular shows such as The Dukes of Hazzard, The Fall Guy and Remington Steele, to mention a few, but not without affecting her physical and emotional health.

In 1982, she met her husband Mel at an acting class, and after knowing each other for only six weeks, they were married.

The Ayres have a 12-year-old son named Joshua. The family resides in Calabasas.

Mel had moved from Tampa, Fla., to Hollywood with the same purpose as many others -- to make it in show biz. He too, got to work on several popular shows, including Three's Company, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital, but just like Desiree, he had struggles of his own -- he overcame an alcohol addiction.

Desiree had not told Mel about her struggles with bulimia and anorexia, but soon he would find out about it. Her first step to healing was when she confided in him. He told her she would find strength to overcome her addiction just as he did -- through faith in God.

And she did. She has said on many occasions how she had replaced food as a comfort source, when she immersed herself in the spiritual aspect of life, she had no need to fill herself with food anymore.

She continued with her stunt performances, but life would take another turn. In 1985, while performing a stunt for the TV show, Airwolf, the moving truck she was diving out of burst into flames, leaving her with life-threatening second- and third-degree burns on her face, neck and arms.

Miraculously she recovered without any visible scarring. She credits her prompt recovery to God's word and the miracles that have happened in her life. Yes, miracles indeed -- how can one explain coming out of such an awful accident without a scar? Or overcoming such horrible eating and emotional disorders?

Now the former actor and stuntwoman are dedicated to counseling and serving others who may find themselves in similar situations, or worse.

Desiree has written a book titled God Hunger, an inspirational guide to breaking addictions, particularly food-related ones.

The Ayres are the pastors of In His Presence Church, which at one time was located in a tiny production studio in Studio City. But with a congregation growing from a handful of people to well over 1,000, they found the need to relocate. In 1993 they moved into a 2,000-seat building in Woodland Hills, where they serve God and the community through different outreach programs.

Among the various outreach programs the church offers to those who may find themselves in need is The Abundance Closet, a part of the church that opens its doors once a month to people who come for clothing or food.

The Closet is sustained through donations from church members and others who wish to contribute. If you're interested in donating to the Abundance Closet, or are in need of it, call [phone].