A 56-year-old British mother has flown to Switzerland to end her life at a controversial assisted dying clinic, unable to bear the grief of losing her only son.
Wendy Duffy's final journey
Wendy Duffy, a former care worker from the West Midlands, has been approved for assisted dying at the Pegasos clinic. Her son Marcus, 23, died four years ago after choking on a sandwich. Despite attempts to save him, she has been unable to move on from her heartbreak.
Her plan has been a year in the making, costing £10,000. She has written letters to loved ones, chosen a deathbed outfit—her son's T-shirt, which still smells of him—and selected Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' 'Die with a Smile' as her final song.
Speaking about her decision, she said: 'I don't care about anything any more. I exist. I don't live. When Marcus died, I died too, inside. On my deathbed I'll wear his T-shirt, which still smells of him.'
She added: 'I won't change my mind. 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.'
Assisted dying in Switzerland
Wendy bought a one-way ticket and has no plans to return. She started a digital countdown on her phone after receiving approval late last year. She wants a 'nice, gentle' end after seeing some 'horrible deaths'. During a previous suicide attempt, she nearly ended up in a persistent vegetative state.
She will be cremated in Switzerland, and her ashes will be sent back to her family to be scattered near a bench dedicated to her son.
In the UK, the assisted dying bill would not allow such cases, as it only applies to terminally ill patients with six months to live and sound mind. Dignitas in Switzerland would also have rejected her. However, Pegasos accepted her after a panel of experts, including psychiatrists, reviewed her application and medical records.
She said: 'My only stipulation is that I've asked if they can make sure the big windows are open, so my spirit can be free.'
Family and the assisted dying debate
Her four sisters and two brothers know she applied to Pegasos but not the timeline, to protect them. She will call them when she arrives in Switzerland.
Wendy decided to highlight her plans to show the 'unfairness' of the current system, which she says puts families in danger.
The assisted dying bill is currently stalled in the House of Lords, with over 1,200 amendments. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, the bill's sponsor, is determined it will return and be passed in future parliamentary sessions. It was approved by the Commons last year, and she says other MPs are ready to reintroduce it.
