WARNING: SENSITIVE CONTENT Wendy Duffy, 56, spoke out publicly about travelling to Switzerland for assisted dying after the death of her only son, Marcus, four years ago
13:43, 24 Apr 2026Updated 14:26, 24 Apr 2026
(Image: Facebook)
A healthy mum has ended her life at a controversial Swiss clinic today. Unable to cope with the grief of losing her son, Wendy Duffy, 56, was approved for assisted dying at the Pegasos clinic.
Her plan to end her life was a year in the making, paying £10,000 to the clinic, writing letters to her loved ones, choosing a deathbed outfit and picking the music which is the last thing she will hear.
Her only son Marcus died four years ago and no amount of therapy has helped his mum, who said her life was “agony” without her child. She told the Daily Mail: “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.”
“I won’t change my mind,” she said in an interview before travelling to the clinic. “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.’
Wendy said she could not go on following the death of her only child Marcus
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Pegasos is a Swiss assisted dying clinic that accepts psychiatric-only cases – where there is no physical illness – provided they meet strict criteria. The condition must be severe, long-lasting and treatment-resistant. Many Swiss clinics, including the better-known Dignitas, refuse such cases entirely.
After more than a year of back-and-forth – interviews, forms and the submission of her full medical records and therapy history – conducted almost entirely remotely via email and WhatsApp. A panel of experts including psychiatrists assessed Wendy’s case and approved it.
Wendy will be cremated in Switzerland and her ashes sent back to her family which she wants scattered by her son’s bench. Her four sisters and two brothers know that she applied to Pegasos but she has been unable to tell them timescale to protect them and will call them when she gets to Switzerland.
If anyone had travelled with her, or deemed to have assisted her suicide in any way, they would risk a police investigation.
In the UK the assisted dying bill would not allow such cases, as it would only be accessible to those who are terminally ill with six months to live and in sound mind. The more famous Dignitas in Switzerland would also have rejected Wendy.
The Pegasos clinic(Image: Pegasos)
Speaking about her final moments 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.”
The former care worker, from West Midlands, says she never got over her son’s death. She tried to save her only son after he fell asleep and choked on a sandwich, but it was too late.
Wendy previously said how she tried antidepressants and therapy to help her come to terms with the loss and her overwhelming grief.
“I wish this was available in the UK, then I wouldn’t have to go to Switzerland at all,” she told the publication, revealing she had tried to take her own life before but it had failed and left her on a ventilator.
“I could step off a motorway bridge or a tower block but that would leave anyone finding me dealing with that for the rest of their lives,” she added.
“I’m going to go out to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars singing Die With A Smile.”
Her death comes on the day the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is expected to fall through, as the House of Lords will run out of time to debate the proposed legislation.
Wendy said she wished she could have sought the procedure in the UK(Image: Pegasos)
Pegasos is a non-profit organisation since it is prohibited to profit from assisted death in Swiss law. This means clients cover the costs of the medication, doctors’ fees and funeral expenses while a portion goes towards the Swiss state.
The clinic also insists that applications to pass away there is rigorous, with a panel of experts, including psychiatrists, tasked with assessing each client.
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”.”
The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.