


Dianna Y. Jiang
Dianna Yu Jiang, immigrated to Canada from Shanghai China in 2001. After her daughter Sophia was born, she became a stay-home mother. Dianna faced her darkest hour when Sophia was diagnosed with severe Autism and Global Developmental Delay at the age of three. The doctor told Dianna that there was no cure for the child.


No one supported Dianna at that time, including her own parents and husband. As a result of that plus domestic violence, she was diagnosed with depression. She tried to commit suicide for several times. However, thinking of her mother and being a mother for Sophia, she started to overcome her barrier and fight the depression. She started to look for therapies for her daughter in the Great Toronto Area. As a single mother, she had to juggle Sophia’s therapy & school while earning an income to support both herself and the child.
At that time, she liked to help other families who were facing parenting problems, even though her life was very tough. Helping others gradually helped Dianna to get out of the depression. A couple of years later, she met her husband and re-married.


In 2012, with the support of her husband, Dianna formed a Parent Support Group to help other families with kids with special needs. In the beginning, there were only 3 parents, but Dianna kept volunteering in the group, providing consultations to the parents. A couple of months later, she founded a nonprofit organization named “Gifted People Services” to help families with individuals with developmental disabilities. Gifted People Services provides quality services, professional support, and related resources to Canadians affected by Autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADHD, epilepsy, learning disabilities, selective aphasia, and other developmental delays. In the past 12 years, the organization has helped more than 1000 families. In 2021, she created Sophia fund to provide financial support to the low income families. Now, the organization’s services have expanded to adults and seniors.
Dianna has received many honors and awards in the past. In 2008, she was invited to attend the Canadian Citizenship ceremony to share her immigration stories to other new Canadians. In 2009, she received Catharine Parr Traill awards which is to recognize outstanding immigrant women. In 2014 & 2018, she was shortlisted for RBC Top 25 Immigrants awards. In 2014, she received Mandarin Profile awards and TCMA awards. In 2018, she received Ontario 5-year volunteer awards. In 2022, she received The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee awards and Ontario 10-year volunteer awards. In 2023, she received Grand Impact Awards. Feb 2024, her story was published in Toronto Star, Global and Mail and National Post.


Her story is continuing… She loves helping families in need. She is like a candle, burning self to provide light to others, she gives hope to many many families.