Healthy mum ends life at Swiss clinic while grieving death of her son

A grieving British mother who revealed yesterday she was choosing to die at a clinic in Switzerland ended her own life today.

Wendy Duffy, who was in good health, travelled to Pegasos ‘suicide clinic’ in Basel to end her life following the death of her son Marcus four years ago.

The 56-year-old insisted her decision to spend her £10,000 life savings travelling to the clinic was a ‘happy one’.

She passed away wearing her son’s t-shirt which still ‘smells like him’.

The former care worker told the Daily Mail that she had planned her death for more than a year, including the final thing she would hear.

Samaritans are here to listen, day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org for more information.

‘You can choose whatever song you want. I’m going to go out to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars singing Die With A Smile,’ she said.

‘You’ll never be able to hear that song now without thinking of me, will you?’

Ruedi Habegger, Pegasos founder, said on Friday: ‘I can confirm that Wendy Duffy, at her own request, was assisted to die on April 24 and that the procedure was completed without incident and in full compliance with her wishes. 

‘I can also confirm that neither we nor any of the professional staff assessing her mental capacity had any doubt as to her intention, understanding and independence of both thought and action. In historical terms at English law, hers was a case of “sane suicide”.’

For decades, Switzerland was one of the few countries to allow a doctor to help severely ill patients end their lives with medication, or the ‘right to die’.

Pegasos has less stringent rules than Digitas; its assisted suicide procedures include a lengthy evaluation of a written request and medical information and at least two face-to-face meetings with a doctor.

Patients must show they are mentally competent and have not been pushed toward the decision by anyone with an ulterior motive.

Pegasus founder Ruedi Habegger said: ‘Wendy is very decided. I saw her at her hotel today, I had a long talk with her and with the psychiatrist that is going to see her a second time before the VAD [voluntary assisted death].

‘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.’

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