Mum with no terminal illness pays £10k for assisted dying in Switzerland

Wendy Duffy, 56, is the first person in Britain to speak openly about her decision to travel to a Swiss assisted dying clinic before the procedure takes place

Paige Ingram Multimedia Journalist, Michael D. Carroll and Peter Hennessy UK & World News Editor 07:07, 23 Apr 2026Updated 07:26, 23 Apr 2026

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Pegasos in Switzerland(Image: Pegasos)

A mum without any terminal condition is journeying to Switzerland to access an assisted dying facility following her only son's death - becoming the first individual to publicly discuss such plans prior to the appointment.

Wendy Duffy, 56, a former care worker[1] from the West Midlands, has spent GBP10,000 to access services at Pegasos, a Swiss assisted dying clinic, after the loss of her son Marcus, 23, four years previously.

Despite extensive therapy sessions[2] and antidepressant medication, she remains unable to process his passing.

In the days leading up to her death, Wendy said: "I won't change my mind. I know it's hard for you, sweetheart. 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." She added: "I can't wait."

Wendy has described the devastating circumstances surrounding Marcus's death four years earlier.

He had dozed off on the sofa while eating a sandwich, suffering from a hangover following a night of heavy drinking. Shortly afterwards, she faced every parent's most dreaded scenario.

"He was purple," she said. "I thought, 'It's his heart.'" Wendy, who has medical training, immediately brought Marcus to the ground and started CPR while crying out for assistance. Paramedics responded and transported him to hospital, where devastating news emerged: half a cherry tomato had become stuck in his airway.

Specialist equipment had been required to extract it.

Wendy remained by his side for five days before his life support was turned off. His organs were donated for transplantation. She explained: "Afterwards, I got a letter from the man who got his heart.

He said that thanks to Marcus he was able to play with his kids again," she said. Another recipient was a four year old child. "That was a comfort, but it also ripped at me."

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Pegasos(Image: Pegasos)

She made daily visits to the funeral home to be with her son, listening to his Spotify playlist.

"In the funeral home, I went in every day, and just sat with him, playing through his Spotify list. I broke when I saw him in there.

My boy, on a metal table. You can't come back from that, you know. That's when I died too, inside.

I'm not the same person now as I was. I used to feel things. I don't care about anything any more."

Wendy stated: "The day I discovered I was pregnant with Marcus was the happiest of my life" but now she says "I exist.

I don't live."

Following Marcus's death, Wendy received comprehensive NHS and private counselling while being prescribed antidepressants. Nine months later, she attempted suicide through an overdose. The attempt left her on a ventilator for a fortnight, temporarily paralysed her right arm, and resulted in permanent numbness in her little finger.

"I remember coming round and thinking, 'I've f***ed this up', and I don't want to go through that again.

That's why I've gone for Pegasos," she said.

Following hospital discharge, she voluntarily admitted herself to a psychiatric ward but left after just one night, likening the environment to a prison.

"I did try to get better," she said. "But you can take all the pills, you can go to all the counselling in the world - and I did. Ultimately, they can't help you. They don't have to live your life, and my life is agony.

Even though I've got family, I've got friends, I've got my routines. I go to the park. I'm not lonely, but I still sit at night and I talk to Marcus, and I kiss the box I had made for his ashes and I say 'goodnight, sunshine' and I think 'I don't want to be in this world without you, Markie'.

And I don't. It's as simple as that."

Pegasos is a Swiss assisted dying facility that considers psychiatric-only cases - where no physical ailment exists - as long as stringent criteria are satisfied. The condition must be serious, enduring and resistant to treatment.

Numerous Swiss facilities, including the more widely recognised Dignitas, reject such applications outright.

Wendy first learnt of Pegasos in 2024 following an ITV[3] investigation into Alastair Hamilton's death, whose mother publicly branded the facility a "cowboy clinic." She sent an enquiry requesting details and lodged a formal application in early 2025.

The procedure spanned more than 12 months of correspondence - interviews, documentation and the provision of her complete medical records and therapy background - carried out almost exclusively remotely through email and WhatsApp. A panel of specialists including psychiatrists reviewed her application and granted approval.

According to Swiss legislation, Wendy must self-administer the fatal medication. Wendy was unwilling to end her life in a manner that would traumatise others. "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. "I don't want to put anyone through that."

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Since the loss of her son, 56-year-old Wendy Duffy has suffered from severe depression.(Image: Pegasos)

Her background in the care sector, she explained, has given her a familiarity with death that others might lack. "Oh, I've seen death a million times.

I've sat with so many people as they've gone. I've seen nice deaths, horrible deaths. I want a nice, gentle one."

Pegasos founder Ruedi Habegger confirmed that Wendy had successfully completed her final psychiatric evaluation, which had taken place earlier in the week.

"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," he said.

He went on to confirm that four of her brothers and sisters had been notified and had given their approval. "Her family knew this was coming at one point or another. She is happy that she has their blessing.

She feels content now, like a weight has been lifted," Habegger said.

Wendy has meticulously arranged every last detail. She has penned letters to those closest to her, selected her outfit and chosen her music. She will wear a t-shirt belonging to Marcus - "it still smells of him" - and has requested that the clinic's large windows remain open so her spirit can be free.

Her possessions, including her suitcase, will be given to an animal charity.

She is unable to donate her organs and will be cremated in Switzerland. Her ashes will be repatriated to her family in the UK and scattered alongside Marcus's at a park bench dedicated to him. Wendy's siblings - four sisters and two brothers - are understood to be aware of her application to Pegasos but were deliberately kept in the dark about the precise date of her procedure, in order to shield them from potential legal consequences.

According to UK law, anyone who provided assistance - including something as simple as transport to the airport - could find themselves subject to investigation or criminal charges.

Mental health support

Helplines and support groups

The following are helplines and support networks for people to talk to, mostly listed on the NHS Choices website[4]

• Samaritans[5] (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year.

  If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at [email protected][6].

• CALM[7] Campaign Against Living Miserably (0800 58 58 58) is a leading movement against suicide. It runs a UK helpline and webchat[8] from 5pm to midnight 365 days a year for anyone who has hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support.
• PANDAS[9] (0808 1961 776) runs a free helpline and offers a support service for people who may be suffering with perinatal mental illness, including prenatal (antenatal) and postnatal depression plus support for their family or network.
• Childline[10] (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won't show up on your phone bill.
• PAPYRUS[11] (0800 068 41 41) is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
• Mind[12] (0300 123 3393) is a charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

  They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

• Students Against Depression[13] is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.
• Bullying UK[14] is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.
• Amparo provides emotional and practical support for anyone who has been affected by a suicide. This includes dealing with police and coroners; helping with media enquiries; preparing for and attending an inquest and helping to access other, appropriate, local support services. Call 0330 088 9255 or visit www.amparo.org.uk[15] for more details.
• Hub of Hope[16] is the UK's most comprehensive national mental health support database.

  Download the free app, visit hubofhope.co.uk[17] or text SHOUT to 85258 to find relevant services near you.

• Young Persons Advisory Service - Providing mental health and emotional wellbeing services for Liverpool's children, young people and families. tel: 0151 707 1025 email: [email protected][18][19]
• Paul's Place - providing free counselling and group sessions to anyone living in Merseyside who has lost a family member or friend to suicide. Tel: 0151 226 0696 or email: [email protected][20][21]
• The Martin Gallier Project - offering face to face support for individuals considering suicide and their families. Opening hours 9.30-16.30, 7 days a week.

  Tel: 0151 644 0294 email: [email protected][22][23]

• James' Place - supports men over 18 who are experiencing a suicidal crisis by providing quick access to therapy and support. Call 0151 303 5757 from Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 5.30pm or visit https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/[24][25]

Pegasos made direct contact with her family. Wendy intends to telephone them from Switzerland for a final farewell. "They will get it.

They know. Honestly, 100%, they know that I'm not happy, that I don't want to be here," she said.

Wendy explained that her decision to speak publicly stems from a desire to inform the ongoing assisted dying discussion, with the next phase expected to commence in the House of Lords shortly. She said: "I'm not breaking the law.

I don't feel I'm doing anything wrong.

Yet for them, it's a mess." She recognises her account will serve as "a grenade lobbed into the assisted dying debate" - yet remains unwavering in her position.

"My life; my choice," she reiterated. "I wish this was available in the UK, then I wouldn't have to go to Switzerland at all."

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Her voluntary assisted death procedure is due to take place on Friday.

If you are affected by issues discussed within this article, you may contact Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

References

1. ^ care worker (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
2. ^ therapy sessions (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
3. ^ ITV (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
4. ^ NHS Choices website (www.nhs.uk)
5. ^ Samaritans (www.samaritans.org)
6. ^ [email protected] (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
7. ^ CALM (www.thecalmzone.net)
8. ^ webchat (www.thecalmzone.net)
9. ^ PANDAS (pandasfoundation.org.uk)
10. ^ Childline (www.childline.org.uk)
11. ^ PAPYRUS (www.papyrus-uk.org)
12. ^ Mind (www.mind.org.uk)
13. ^ Students Against Depression (studentsagainstdepression.org)
14. ^ Bullying UK (www.bullying.co.uk)
15. ^ www.amparo.org.uk (www.amparo.org.uk)
16. ^ Hub of Hope (www.hubofhope.co.uk)
17. ^ hubofhope.co.uk (www.hubofhope.co.uk)
18. ^ Young Persons Advisory Service (www.ypas.org.uk)
19. ^ [email protected] (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
20. ^ Paul's Place (beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk)
21. ^ [email protected] (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
22. ^ The Martin Gallier Project (www.gallierhouse.co.uk)
23. ^ [email protected] (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
24. ^ James' Place (www.jamesplace.org.uk)
25. ^ https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/ (www.jamesplace.org.uk)