New book shows how one family defied the odds and found peace amid the storm

Contact: Kevin Wandra, 404-788-1276, KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com

SAN FRANCISCO, April 10, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Joe and Lori Sikorra were enjoying their lives with their two young sons, John and Ben, when a devastating diagnosis would change everything. Both of the Sikorra children had the rare, and fatal, juvenile Batten disease. The family could have given up hope and stopped living — but they chose joy. The Sikorra family's extraordinary and deeply personal story is told in the new book DEFYING GRAVITY: How Choosing Joy Lifted My Family From Death to Life, by Joe Sikorra.

Written with an honest, self-deprecating humor amidst tragedy, Joe Sikorra uses DEFYING GRAVITY to bring the reader into his own life, which he gladly would have abandoned for his boys, and challenges them to live daily for God, choosing not to give up and to fulfill those timeless words of St. Paul that love "endures all things."

The book is relatable to every person because, undoubtedly, one day everyone will have to traverse the rocky landscape of heartbreak. DEFYING GRAVITY is a beautiful account of a normal family living an extraordinary life. By allowing God to provide comfort and respite in the midst despair, in the form of supernatural comforts and the love of friends, family and neighbors, the Sikorras prove that uniting suffering to Christ is the only way to persevere through tragedy.

"If you ever experienced a loss or want to prepare yourself for that day, the wisdom in DEFYING GRAVITY will prove invaluable," says Robert Maurer, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist at the UCLA School of Medicine and author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life. "Joe Sikorra and his family found a path through life's darkest valley and can light the way for us to follow."

In order to help other families, all proceeds from the sale of DEFYING GRAVITY will be donated to charity, the primary beneficiary being the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation, which aims to eradicate juvenile Batten disease by raising awareness and funds to accelerate research for a treatment or cure.

For more information, to request a review copy, or to schedule an interview with Joe Sikorra, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com) of Carmel Communications.