A British woman with no terminal illness is set to end her life by assisted dying in Switzerland this Friday, April 24. Wendy Duffy, 56, is travelling to the Swiss suicide clinic Pegasos in Basel because she says she is too heartbroken to continue living without her only son.
Wendy’s 23-year-old son, Marcus Duffy, died four years ago after choking on a cherry tomato while asleep on the sofa in their West Midlands home. Marcus had been hungover when Wendy packed him a sandwich containing halved cherry tomatoes. Tragically, a piece became lodged in his windpipe as he dozed off, causing his death.
Following Marcus’s death, Wendy, a former care worker, attempted to take her own life but survived. She has told doctors that her grief is unbearable and that no therapy or medication has helped her cope.
Wendy has now been approved for assisted dying at Pegasos and has paid the £10,000 fee. At Pegasos, the process is physician-assisted, meaning Wendy will administer the lethal medication herself by turning a dial. According to the clinic, within a minute she will fall into a coma, and shortly after, she will pass away.
Wendy’s family have expressed their support for her decision despite their devastation. She plans to call them before proceeding, saying: “It will be a hard call where I’ll say goodbye and thank them. But they will get it. They know. Honestly, 100%, they know that I’m not happy, that I don’t want to be here.”
Ruedi Habegger, founder of Pegasos, spoke about Wendy’s case after meeting her and her psychiatrist. He said: “He is very confident that we are doing the right thing letting her go, that we should not stand in her way. She is absolutely not in a depressive state. I’m very experienced in this field. There are no worries with Wendy, none at all.”
Ironically, the UK is debating a law on physician-assisted death in the House of Lords tomorrow. Wendy’s case raises difficult questions about assisted dying. She is choosing to end her life after an unimaginable loss and appears at peace with her decision. However, she is leaving loved ones behind who will face the pain of another devastating loss.
The tragic circumstances of Marcus’s death—a fatal accident caused by a simple cherry tomato—make Wendy’s heartbreak almost unimaginable. She was the one who made the sandwich that led to his death, a burden she says is too heavy to carry.
Wendy’s courage in facing her pain head-on is notable. Some wounds, it seems, never heal. RIP Marcus.
Originally published by UKNIP.
