West Midlands Mother Arranges Assisted Death in Switzerland Following Son's Tragic Passing
Wendy Duffy, a 56-year-old former care worker from the West Midlands, has paid £10,000 to undergo assisted dying at Pegasos, a Swiss clinic, after losing her only son Marcus four years ago. Despite extensive therapy and antidepressant treatment, she has been unable to recover from her profound grief.
A Mother's Unbearable Loss
Marcus Duffy was just 23 years old when he tragically died after choking on a cherry tomato while napping on the sofa. Wendy, who has medical training, performed CPR when she found him unresponsive, but paramedics discovered the food lodged in his windpipe at the hospital. Deprived of oxygen for too long, Marcus was declared brain dead, and his life support was switched off five days later.
"I broke when I saw him in there. My boy, on a metal table. You can't come back from that, you know," Wendy recalled of visiting his body at the funeral home. "That's when I died too, inside. I'm not the same person now as I was. I used to feel things. I don't care about anything any more. I exist. I don't live."
Years of Struggle and a Previous Suicide Attempt
Following Marcus's death, Wendy received both NHS and private counselling and was prescribed antidepressants. Nine months after losing her son, she attempted to end her own life with a carefully planned overdose. A friend alerted authorities when she didn't respond to messages, and police forced entry to find a note attached to her bedroom door.
She spent two weeks on a ventilator, temporarily lost function in her right arm, and still has no sensation in her little finger. Doctors warned she could have developed locked-in syndrome. "I remember coming round and thinking, 'I've messed this up', and I don't want to go through that again. That's why I've gone for Pegasos," she explained.
The Journey to Pegasos
Wendy first learned about Pegasos in 2024 through an ITV investigation. Unlike other Swiss assisted dying facilities that reject psychiatric-only cases, Pegasos accepts patients without terminal physical conditions if they meet stringent criteria: the condition must be serious, enduring, and resistant to treatment.
She began the application process in early 2025, undergoing more than a year of remote interviews, documentation submissions, and medical record reviews. A panel of specialists including psychiatrists ultimately approved her case.
Under Swiss law, Wendy must administer the fatal medication herself. "They put the line in but you've got to turn the doobra yourself to get it flowing. Then - ding, ding, ding - within a minute, you are in a coma, and a minute after that, you are gone," she described.
Final Preparations and Family Support
Wendy has meticulously planned every detail of her final days. She will wear a t-shirt that belonged to Marcus - "it still smells of him" - and listen to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars singing Die With A Smile. She has requested the clinic's windows remain open so her spirit can be free, and her possessions will be donated to an animal charity.
Her ashes will be returned to the UK and scattered alongside Marcus's at a park bench dedicated to him. "I hate funerals anyway and don't want one. It's all planned," she said.
Ruedi Habegger, founder of Pegasos, confirmed Wendy completed her final psychiatric evaluation earlier this week. "Wendy is very decided. She is absolutely not in a depressive state. I'm very experienced in this field. There are no worries with Wendy, none at all," he stated.
He noted that four of her siblings have been notified and provided their approval. "Her family knew this was coming at one point or another. She is happy that she has their blessing. She feels content now, like a weight has been lifted," Habegger added.
Speaking Out on Assisted Dying
Wendy decided to speak publicly to contribute to the ongoing assisted dying debate, with the next phase expected in the House of Lords shortly. "I'm not breaking the law. I don't feel I'm doing anything wrong," she said regarding her family's situation.
She recognizes her account will serve as "a grenade lobbed into the assisted dying debate" but remains steadfast in her decision. "My life; my choice," she reiterated. "I wish this was available in the UK, then I wouldn't have to go to Switzerland at all."
Her voluntary assisted death procedure was scheduled to occur on Friday. Under UK law, anyone who aids her - even taking her to the airport - could face investigation or prosecution, so her siblings were not informed of the precise timing to protect them legally.
