Jess Quarello
About Jess
Jess was born in Sweden but raised in North Carolina. She started singing at the age of 5 years old and pursued a career in music, modeling and performance. She received her BFA in Music Theatre from Elon University and after graduation moved to NYC to continue her career. She had some great successes which included national commercials, a beauty campaign printed in Vogue Magazine, a recording contract and even working with Timbaland and Snoop Dog. She decided to switch gears in her career and pivoted to the other side of the modeling industry, fashion! Jess worked as a lead stylist for a style-subscription company, moved into marketing for an international branding agency and most recently worked for a non-profit consultancy, on the sales and marketing business side. In 2020 she gave birth to Adeline, who at birth was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. What started as a traumatic and scary diagnosis has propelled her into a life of advocacy and passion for her daughter and the Down Syndrome Community. She currently resides in Northern NJ with her daughters Charlee (8) and Adeline (5). She hopes to inspire others facing a disability diagnosis to not fear the future but to embrace a new beautiful perspective.
Jess' Books
Dear Mama: Stories of an Extra Lucky Life
"Dear Mama: Stories of an Extra Lucky Life" is a collection of essays written for the extra lucky community BY the extra lucky community. Extra Lucky Moms was founded in May 2021 by Jessica Quarello and Taryn Lagonigro, who are both moms of children with disabilities. They connected because of their daughters and their friendship sparked the start of their extra lucky journey. Their organization celebrates children with Down syndrome, autism, Jordan’s Syndrome, trisomies, heart conditions, and many more, and provides a space where every parent, caregiver and therapist belongs. Dear Mama is a direct result of this community. Jess and Taryn felt there was not enough appropriate and supportive literature available to new moms experiencing overwhelming medical information, appointments and general unknowns. Moms truly just want to feel seen, heard and understood and that they too will be OK. This book hopes to help make that happen. Dear Mama includes 28 essays written by incredibly inspiring mamas who opened up their hearts in the hopes of helping someone else through their words. Our mission is to get this book in the hands of the mom who needs it so she feels hope and peace. We also believe this book is a beautiful and inspiring way for anyone to learn more about the experience of parents and children in the disability community.
The Adaptive Toolkit For Potty Training Children With Disabilities
Jess is a contributing author on The Adaptive Toolkit for Potty Training Children with Disabilities. This book is a comprehensive guide designed to support parents, caregivers, and educators in navigating the potty training journey for children with disabilities. Written by Allison Jandu, the Potty Training Consultant, with contributions from Taryn Lagonigro and Jess Quarello as well as experts in child development. This book provides adaptable strategies, troubleshooting tips, and real-life success stories to empower families on this important milestone.
