A British woman with no terminal illness is set to end her life by assisted dying in Switzerland this Friday, April 24. Wendy Duffy, aged 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, tragically 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 prepared a sandwich for him containing halved cherry tomatoes. Unfortunately, a piece became lodged in his windpipe as he dozed off, leading to his untimely 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 neither therapy nor medication has provided relief. Wendy has now been approved for assisted dying at Pegasos and has paid the £10,000 fee required.
At Pegasos, the assisted death is physician-assisted, meaning Wendy will self-administer the lethal medication by turning a dial. According to the clinic, within a minute of doing so, the person falls into a coma, and shortly after, passes away.
Wendy’s family have expressed support for her decision, despite the pain it causes them. She plans to call them before proceeding with the assisted dying. Wendy said, “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 United Kingdom is debating a law on physician-assisted death in the House of Lords tomorrow. Wendy’s case raises difficult questions about assisted dying. She has chosen to end her life after an unimaginable loss and appears at peace with her decision. However, she leaves behind loved ones who will face the pain of another devastating loss.
The tragic circumstances of Marcus’s death — caused by a simple cherry tomato in a fatal accident — 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 bear. Wendy’s courage in facing her pain head-on is notable. Some wounds, it seems, never heal.
Rest in peace, Marcus.
Originally published by UKNIP.
