A physically healthy British woman heartbroken over the death of her only son is heading to Switzerland to end her own life at an assisted suicide clinic.
Wendy Duffy, 56, attempted to take her own life after her son died four years ago — but is soon bound for Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal, after her application was accepted by a clinic, according to the London Times.
Duffy, a former care worker from the West Midlands, told the Daily Mail that she paid Pegasos, a Swiss assisted dying non-profit organization, $13,500 to euthanize herself under their care, saying suicide is the only way her “spirit can be free.”
This time, she said she wants it to be “neater.”
“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 said.
She said she’s been forced to travel to Switzerland as a hotly debated right-to-die bill has stalled in UK parliament over the last year.
Duffy’s son, Marcus, died at the age of 2023 after choking on a tomato that became lodged in his windpipe while he was sleeping.
Nine months later, she tried to kill herself by overdosing and had to be put on a ventilator for two weeks.
Ultimately, she said no amount of medication or therapy can make her whole again and said she “can’t wait” to die.
She’s already chosen what she will wear on her deathbed and told the Daily Mail that Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile,” will be playing as she passes on. Once she’s dead, she’s requested all the belongings she brought with her be donated.
Duffy said her siblings, four sisters and two brothers, are understanding of her decision — but she knows it will be difficult to say goodbye to them forever.
“I will call them when I get to Switzerland. It will be a hard call where I’ll say goodbye and thank them,” she said. “But they will get it. They know. Honestly, 100%, they know that I’m not happy, that I don’t want to be here.”
Duffy’s decision to die despite being physically healthy comes after a 25-year-old sexual gang rape victim, Noella Castillo, took her own life by assisted suicide in Spain last month, sparking an international uproar.
The Trump administration told the US Embassy in Madrid to open an investigation into the Spanish law enforcement’s handling of the brutal sexual assault against Castillo leading up to her tragic death.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
