Caldwell Mom Of 4 Publishes Book About Daughter With Down Syndrome

CALDWELL, NJ — "For years, I felt like I was just living life on the surface," says Taryn Lagonigro, a fin-tech consultant and mom who lives in Caldwell, "moving quickly through each day."

That changed in the last few years. Lagonigro's youngest of four daughters was born in March 2020 with a diagnosis of Down Syndrome. Lagonigro lost her mother, coped with her daughter's heart surgery, and battled depression.

Last year, Lagonigro left her full-time job to focus on "family, writing, and entrepreneurship," and now she's published a book about her experiences.

"Ups, Downs, and Silver Linings," released last week, tells of Lagonigro's various challenges and successes over the years.

The book was published by Lagonigro's new publishing company, Four Clovers Publishing, named in honor of her four daughters. Lagonigro says that now the company will publish "other authors who have a disability, love or work with individuals with disabilities, with a goal of creating more works to close the gap in inclusive literature."

Lagonigro, who co-owns Irish Yoga, a yoga studio in Bloomfield, and Extra Lucky Moms, an advocacy brand in the disability community, spent almost 20 years in the financial
technology field before moving into her present pursuits, she says.

But her youngest daughter "threw her into a world of advocacy when she was born with Down syndrome," according to a release about the book.

Lagonigro now sits on the board of two non-profits, the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network and 321 Sunshine Nonprofit.

She has been telling her story in various formats for the last year, and now speaks about more of her struggles, successes, and learning experiences in the book, including growing up close to her uncle who had a disability.

In 2019, she received her daughter's diagnosis of Trisomy 21 after her 12-week pregnancy scan.

"I had three babies before this, but this was the first time someone had asked me if I wanted one of them," she wrote last year. " ‘I will call you back,’ I said, in a complete fog."

Now, she says, "If I could have one wish for Rhea, it would be above all she is respected. She may sound different than most people and she may need more patience from others, but she is worthy of love and respect as much as everyone else."

She adds, "People with Down syndrome can be athletes, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, public speakers, career professionals, or anything they want to be! It shouldn’t be surprising they are any of these things."

What is her hope for the new book?

"Taryn talks about looking for the silver linings, finding joy in the unexpected and leaning into the unknown," says a release about the book. "Taryn hopes that this book will inspire readers to look for the silver linings in any situation to keep moving forward. She also hopes that her story of the Down syndrome diagnosis will spark change and understanding about both Down syndrome and the disability community at large."

Find out more about Lagonigro and the book on her website. Buy her book at a local retailer or on-line here.