A 56-year-old woman from Britain is traveling to Switzerland to end her life at an assisted dying facility after the loss of her only son.
As reported in heartbreaking detail, Wendy Duffy, a former care worker from the West Midlands, UK, is candidly discussing her choice to end her life, even though she does not suffer from any terminal illness or severe physical ailment.
Wendy has spent £10,000 ($13,500 US) to end her life at Pegasos, a Swiss assisted dying clinic, as she has been unable to heal from the loss of her son Marcus, who passed away four years ago at the age of 23.
In an interview with Daily Mail journalist Jenny Johnson just days before her intended death, Wendy expressed her unwavering commitment to her decision.
“I won’t change my mind. I know it’s hard for you, sweetheart,” she stated. “It will be hard for everyone. But I want to die, and that’s what I’m going to do. And I’ll have a smile on my face when I do, so please be happy for me. My life; my choice.”
She further remarked: “I can’t wait.”
During the interview, Wendy shared the heartbreaking story of how her son passed away under tragic circumstances four years ago. He had dozed off on the sofa while munching on a sandwich, and when Wendy came back to the living room, she encountered a scene that no parent ever wants to see.
“He was purple,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘It’s his heart.’”
With her medical training, Wendy immediately started CPR. Paramedics arrived quickly and transported the 23-year-old Marcus to the hospital, where they discovered the cause of the problem. A half cherry tomato was found stuck in his windpipe, requiring specialized equipment for its removal.
“They believe he must have fallen asleep with food still in his mouth. That’s the only comfort I have, knowing there was no struggle,” Wendy explained.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of oxygen to his brain for too long, Marcus was declared brain dead. Wendy spent five days by his side in the hospital before the life support was turned off.
“At the funeral home, I visited every day and just sat with him, listening to his Spotify playlist,” she remembered. “I broke down when I saw him there. My boy, lying on a metal table. You can’t come back from that, you know.”
“That’s when I died too, inside,” she expressed. “I’m not the same person I used to be. I used to feel emotions. Now, I don’t care about anything anymore. I exist. I don’t truly live.”
After losing her only son, Wendy sought support from the UK’s National Health Service and private counseling. She was also given antidepressants, which she attempted to use to end her life through an overdose nine months after Marcus’ death.
When she stopped responding to her messages, a friend of Wendy’s raised the alarm. Officers forced their way into her home and found a note taped to her bedroom door.
Ultimately, she spent two weeks on a ventilator, during which she temporarily lost the use of her right arm. To this day, she still cannot feel her little finger.
“I remember waking up and thinking, ‘I’ve really messed this up’, and I don’t want to experience that again. That’s why I’ve chosen Pegasos,” she shared.
“I did make an effort to improve,” she went on. “But you can take all the medication, you can attend all the therapy sessions imaginable – and I did. In the end, they can’t truly assist you. They don’t have to live your life, and my life is filled with pain.
“Even though I have family, friends, and my daily routines. I visit the park. I’m not alone, but at night, I still sit and talk to Marcus, I kiss the box I had made for his ashes and say ‘goodnight, sunshine’ and I think ‘I don’t want to exist in this world without you, Markie’. And I don’t. It’s that straightforward.
In her interview with the Daily Mail, Wendy revealed that she found out about Pegasos, a Swiss assisted dying clinic, in 2024 through a televised investigation into the death of Alastair Hamilton, a 47-year-old who secretly arranged to end his own life.
According to the Manchester Evening News, many Swiss clinics turn away psychiatric-only cases where there is no physical illness. However, Pegasos does accept them, as long as applicants meet specific strict criteria.
“Wow. This is exactly what I need,” Wendy recalled thinking after discovering the clinic. She asked for more information and submitted a formal application early last year.
Now, after over a year of communication, including interviews, forms, and the submission of Wendy’s complete medical records and therapy history, the grieving mother’s plan to end her own life has been approved.
Reports indicate that Wendy has meticulously organized every aspect of her final hours, including what will follow. This preparation encompasses letters addressed to her loved ones, the attire she plans to wear on the day of her passing, and the music that will accompany her.
It is understood that Wendy’s six siblings are aware of her application to Pegasos, but they have not been notified about the specific timing of her procedure. This is due to the fact that anyone perceived as aiding her (such as driving her to the airport) could potentially face legal consequences under UK law.
“They will understand,” Wendy remarked. “They are aware. Truly, without a doubt, they know that I’m unhappy and that I wish to leave this place.”
