THE AIMS OF THE FOUNDATION

– To improve and promote the psychological and physical well being of children and their families.
– To educate people about problems relating to children and their families.
– To help and support children and their families who encounter psychological problems and difficulties.
– To donate funds to other institutions which work with children who have psychological or physical disabilities.
– To collaborate with public and social services and voluntary institutions which are aligned with the Foundation’s mission.

WHY DANCING QUEEN?

‘The Dancing Queen,’ chosen as the name for the foundation, perfectly captures the inspirational and energetic spirit of the late Dr Yiota Demetriou. She was a talented clinical therapist and psychologist who gained the love and respect of her family, friends and colleagues. Dr Yiota was about to become the first PHD recipient in her field, in her native country Cyprus, at the time of her death.
Dr Yiota Demetrious’s exuberant charm and contagious sense of humour are what made her stand out in any crowd. She was seen as ‘the Dancing Queen’ amongst her friends and the nickname perfectly embodies Dr Yiota’s love of dancing, her free-spirited nature, fun-loving, larger than life personality and her endless zest for life.

Dr. Yiota Demetriou’s Academic Journey

Born on the 24th March 1978 in Leicester, England, Yiota Demetriou was the first born child of Greek Cypriot parents. Her family repatriated to Cyprus, in 1987, where she attended St. Mary’s Primary school in Limassol after which she completed her secondary education at the American Academy (Private) Limassol.
After graduating from Secondary School in 1996, Demetriou completed a Media course at Intercollege in Cyprus, and later went on to complete her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Media at Sussex University in Brighton. Yet, it was her love of children and a deeper calling which lead her to pursue an entirely new career path. Consequently, she decided to pursue a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology at Pace University in New York.
In the midst of working on her PHD dissertation she juggled a full-time job at Brookdale Medical Hospital in Brooklyn and worked tirelessly to achieve her goal.
In 2008, she was only just a breath away from finally completing her dissertation and realising her dream. She had just completed her final assignment on the 15th November 2008, and was due to submit it the following day, when her life took a devastating turn. On 16th November, in the early hours of the morning, Yiota Demetriou crossed paths with a reckless, drunk driver, who sped through a red traffic light, crashing his vehicle into the taxi which had been driving her home causing her untimely, tragic death.
After an emotional presentation, on the 5th December 2008, her dissertation findings were defended by her classmates, and she was pronounced ‘Doctor (Psy. D) Yiota Demetriou’ by her professors.