Dr Siouxsie Wiles needs our support

Dr Siouxsie Wiles is a microbiologist and bioluminescence enthusiast who heads up the Bioluminescent Superbugs Group at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. I know Siouxsie, & family, through Auckland Skeptics in the Pub Meetup Group and NZ Skeptics. Siouxsie used to be highly active in both, but even that has been impacted by what follows.

Siouxsie, and the pandemic

When COVID-19 arrived Siouxsie—already an award-winning Science Communicator 2013, New Zealand Order of Merit 2019, later NZ'er of the year 2021—became a familiar reassuring sight across NZ, and international, media explaining COVID-19 and the evolving response as the pandemic progressed.

The visual explainers created by Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles and published by The Spinoff have been shared in their hundreds of millions since the pandemic struck.

The bumper Toby Morris & Siouxsie Wiles Covid-19 box set

All the illustrations and animations in one place.

The SpinoffThe Spinoff

Ms. Information, a glimpse of the trauma

That exposure, when combined with misinformation and social media, came with a huge cost. Some of which was captured in a documentary film:

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, microbiologist and science communicator Siouxsie Wiles quickly became a familiar face in the media, educating the public on the science behind Covid-19 prevention. With her straight-talking persona and bright pink hair, she became a target for a torrent of abuse from those who were unconvinced. In this trailer, Wiles hits back with a witty voicemail directing callers to the 'Doctor Siouxsie Wiles Complaints Service'. As the threats keep coming, her public and personal life start to dangerously blend. | NZ on Screen Ms. Information

Watch Ms. Information, or even just the trailer below, for a glimpse of the hell the whole family have endured as a result.

Ms. Information | Film | NZ On Screen

Ms. Information - Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, microbiologist and science communicator Siouxsie Wiles quickly became a familiar face in the media, educating the public on the science behind Covid-19 prevention. With her straight-talking persona and bright pink hair, she became a target for a torrent of abuse from those who were unconvinced. In this trailer, Wiles hits back with a witty voicemail directing callers to the ‘Doctor Siouxsie Wiles Complaints Service’. As the threats keep coming, her public and personal life start to dangerously blend. Director Gwen Isaac also made feature documentary Where There is Life.

NZ On Screen

The costs

In addition to the trauma, social costs, there has been a very real financial cost related to a resulting employment case, that Siouxsie won. As Siouxsie says:

"Taking legal action has cost a LOT of money. My lawyer, Catherine Stewart, gave me a discounted rate. But even with that, the complexity of my case and the amount of time it's taken to get it through the Employment Relations Authority and the Employment Court have cost my husband and me over $630,000. This has come from our personal savings, help from family and friends, and several bank loans. Even with the $20,000 in damages and $205,000 in costs I was awarded, we are out of pocket by over $400,000." | Dr Siouxsie Wiles

Support Dr Siouxsie here:

You can help support the family, reduce the burden of the financial costs at least, at the PledgeMe below:

"But every two weeks, another loan repayment leaves our bank account, and more interest accrues, and it makes me mad and sad all over again." | Dr Siouxsie Wiles

Support Dr Siouxsie After She Supported Us! | PledgeMe

Support Dr Siouxsie to recover some of the money she spent fighting her legal case to protect employees experiencing online abuse

PledgeMeSiouxsie Wiles