So, how far would you be willing to go to save someone you loved?

What if it meant doing something you feared doing, could you still go through with it? More often than not, we're left standing on the sidelines watching helplessly as our loved ones get sick and grow steadily worse. But for Teresa, standing by and watching wasn't an option. The moment Gene got sick, Teresa began to look for answers. He needed a kidney transplant, so she began to research what it entailed.

Teresa's story of love began years before and I learned of it the day I arrived at Colonel James Jabara Airport to interview pilots at the Festival of Flight in Wichita, Kansas. As I arrived at the airport, I made my way towards hangar number seven. Nervous about what was going to take place but at the same moment I was about to burst with excitement. My job was to interview stunt pilot Gene Soucy and wingwalker Teresa Stokes. This was my first interview (ever); I'd done some research on the two but was more concerned with who these two talented people were, outside of flying.

The group I was with were a few of the first to arrive at the hanger. I'd been around planes and pilots before, but as I walked through the enormous door I was overwhelmed. To my shock, twelve planes were packed inside the hanger. Their shapes, sizes and colors were magnificent.

The first plane that caught my attention was Maufred Radius's glider, painted a slick white. Four larger planes, all painted alike with black and white checkered noses belonged to the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team. A wolf painted on each side of a plane belonged to Ji "Fang" Maroney. Two flashy red and black planes were those of the "Sons of Legends" team, Kyle Franklin and Matt Younkin.

Finally, as I made my way around the planes, I found the one I was looking for, "The Showcat," belonging to the one and only Gene Soucy - Mr. Airshow and wingwalker Teresa Stokes. "The Showcat" was painted elaborate oranges, yellows and reds. Its wonderful artwork design was created by Teresa. But to my amazement, one would have thought the wings of this plane would be larger. After all, someone walked on them. I began to wonder just how it was possible for someone to walk on its wings.

As I was watching all the hustle and bustle in the hanger, I saw Gene Soucy, and he was walking in my direction. A much taller than I, dark glasses and rich brown hair, came right up to me and said, "How are you doing, today?" I was in shock, for some reason I was under the impression that the pilots wouldn't be very personable. Boy, was I wrong; Gene is one of the nicest, most polite men I had met in a long time. His love for life, his personality makes him very likable, and with that huge smile, showing off his pearly whites I couldn't help but smile right along with him.

After our introductions, I didn't interview him by no means ... we talked ... in fact, in every interview went as easily as this one, everyone would want to be a journalist. We simply talked ... about anything and everything ... as I spoke to him, it was as if I'd known him my whole life. For a brief time, we talked about the planes and about him being a pilot. I asked him what it was like having someone walk on the wings of his plane.

He looked at me with a brilliant smile, chuckled a couple of times before saying in a deep but light-hearted tone: "It's unreal ... at times, I can hardly believe it myself ... her up there, walking around on the wings."

As a mother, I would think that traveling with an air show you'd miss your family, right? But when I asked Gene if he missed being home and if it was hard to always travel, after all they do about 22 shows a season, that's about about ashow every weekend somewhere different. Gene and Teresa both have been around airplanes their entire lives. They do shows everywhere in the US and Canada.

Once again, as I looked up at him, I got that great smile and show of teeth. His answer was quick. He pondered only for a moment, then he spoke in a hearty tone, as he looked around the hanger, taking it all in. "You know, this is my family. We've become a family. I'm home on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but I can't wait for the call of where we are going that Thursday."

As I stood there, looking at all the pilots and crews, I noticed something I'd missed. They were a family, helping each other move the planes around, talking and laughing. It makes sense when you're around the same bunch of people that they would become family. What a life ... home for two days and out flying, traveling the rest of the time.

But the, I wondered something ... what did this man do when he wasn't out flying? So, being a somewhat nosey person, I asked. And I could hardly believe it ... NASCAR. He'd be racing, or taking his classics to car shows. But NASCAR, no offence but my husband watches it and I'm thinking, flying in the air wherever you want or driving in a circle very, very, very fast. So, without thinking, I began to laugh and said, what, they aren't alike or similar. Of course, there I go speaking before I think. He almost doubled over with laughter. Okay, I'm not going to tell you his answer, which is more than obvious. I'm pretty sure you can figure it out, even if you don't know a thing about flying or NASCAR. So, there I am with this happy-go-lucky guy laughing at me, but I can't blame him for my stupid comment. After all, my mother always said I was quick to ask before I thought.

As I said, Gene is a very personable man who is very talented and gifted and might I add lucky. Teresa and Gene have been dating for over twenty years. They were both pilots before they met, and after they started dating, Gene needed an assistant, so he asked Teresa if she wouldn't mind filling in until he found someone. She said she would. Well, he must not have found an assistant because she's still filling in. According to her, he liked what she did, walking on the wings, so he kept her around for awhile. Now, isn't that the beginning of a fairy tale, and it gets even better. But we'll get to that a little later ...

As for Teresa, who is the most adorable women I've ever met, her flowing blonde hair glistened in the sun, as she helped get the plane ready. Her small frame makes you wonder just how she stays on that plane. She's probably a bit over five feet. I'm not exactly sure, since I didn't ask (that would have been rude, I felt).

Teresa talked to me as she readied the plane. "This is a job you can be passionate about. This is like a hobby, an interest, more than a job. How did I get so lucky to be paid for having fun?"

Teresa and Gene have been a couple for over twenty years

They have a lot in common. Besides her interest in aviation, Teresa also owns four classic cars from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Teresa is one of five girls. Mom had no boys.

Hmmm ... now, we've come full circle ... to Teresa researching a solution to Gene's need for a kidney transplant. Here's what Teresa discovered: for Gene to have an operation, a donor would have to be found. With a long list of people waiting for transplants, family members and friends are usually asked to be tested to see if they'd be a match. The blood types and tissue must match. There are two reasons for someone to donate. First, we only use 1/6 of each one or if you have two kidneys, 1/3 of one kidney is used. Second, the new technique, lapriscopic, has a fast recovery rate, no pain, no scars.

Teresa was a perfect match for Gene.

However, this meant overcoming a fear. Teresa describes herself as a "chicken." Remember, she's afraid of motorcycles, snow skiing, medical operations and plastic surgery. Her biggest fear was going under the knife in the operating room. When asked why she did it, a puzzled (almost dumbfounded) look crossed over her face, as if the answer was obvious. "Because I love him ... that's why," she replied with love and emotion. "The giver gets a gift out of it, too. And it's a good feeling."

Unfortunately, most hospitals are still doing it the old-fashioned way, which is much more physically invasive and doesn't have that great of a success rate. The recovery is much harder for both the donor and the recipient. But don't lose heart ...

If you can't find a hospital in your area that performs lapriscopic, keep hunting. That's what Teresa did and she found The University of Maryland to perform the technique, which meant zero change in lifestyle (after the surgery). Would you believe that Teresa was out climbing around on the wing of a plane shortly after the surgery? And for Gene and many others, this new technique for kidney transplants gives them a whole new world of hope and possibilities.

Gene Soucy and Teresa Stokes have more information on their web site concerning this new technique: genesoucy.com.

Also, for more research on lapriscopic transplants, go to umm.edu/transplant.