A 56-year-old woman from the West Midlands, England, died at an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland. Daily Mail.
Wendy Duffy, a former carer, underwent the procedure at the Pegasos clinic in Basel. The organization confirmed her death in a statement.
“I can confirm that Wendy Duffy was assisted to die on April 24 at her own request and that the procedure took place without incident and fully in accordance with her wishes,” said Ruedi Habegger, founder of the assisted dying organisation.
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He added that experts involved in assessing her mental capacity had no concerns about understanding the decision.
Personal loss and prolonged grief
Duffy has previously spoken about her inability to recover from the death of her son Marcus, who died in 2022 aged 23.
She said she underwent therapy and medical care in the years after the incident, but continued to struggle emotionally.
Her experience reflects the long-term impact that grief can have on an individual, especially after the loss of a close family member.
Background of the case
According to the report, Duffy’s son died after a suffocation incident at home. The loss had a lasting effect on her mental and emotional well-being.
She had also previously attempted to end her life, after which she sought medical treatment.
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Despite receiving support over time, she said she was unable to get over the loss.
Legal context
Assisted dying remains illegal in the UK. However, Switzerland allows assisted dying under certain legal conditions, which has led some individuals to travel there for such procedures, the New York Post reported.
Duffy traveled to Switzerland before the move, according to the report.
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Expression of family
Duffy’s family members were aware of her decision, the report said. She also made an appointment in person before the procedure.
However, according to The Mirror, Wendy’s 87-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia, told the publication that she was unaware of her daughter’s plans.
Her family told the media that “nothing was going to stop her” and “she was determined and determined”. They said she could no longer live with the loss of her only child: “It’s something she wanted and we couldn’t stop her.”
Wendy’s sister-in-law Paula Duffy said in a statement to the Daily Mirror: “It’s very sad for the whole family, very upsetting.”
Soon after Pegasos announced her death, Paula told the paper: “It’s something she wanted to do and we couldn’t stop her. After the death of her son, she never came back to herself and didn’t want to continue. She was very strong-willed and if she set her mind to something, no one could change it.”
According to reports from several media outlets, Wendy Pegasos paid $13,500 to end her life. She traveled alone to the clinic and died peacefully on Friday morning wearing her son Marcus’ T-shirts because “it still smells” – and listening to Die With A Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.
