- The British woman Wendy Duffy wants to receive euthanasia in Switzerland.
- She suffers from severe depression after the death of her son.
- The Pegasos organization approved their application after review.
She has been counting down the remaining time on her cell phone for a year – in just a few days the time will come: the British woman Wendy Duffy wants to go to a controversial clinic Swiss euthanasia organization Pegasos die. Nothing could change her mind, the 56-year-old said in an interview with the Daily Mail: “I want to die, and that’s what I’m going to do. And I will smile when I die. My life, my decision.”
The former carer from the West Midlands does not suffer from any terminal physical illness. She is physically healthy – but four years ago she lost her only son Marcus under tragic circumstances. I have since then no therapyas many as there were, could alleviate their depression and pain.
Not the first suicide attempt
Wendy Duffy has already arranged her affairs: farewell letters to her relatives have been written, the clothes for her deathbed have been chosen and the music that will accompany her in her final moments has been decided. “I’m going to die with Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars with ‘Die With A Smile,'” she says. She paid around 10,000 francs for the service at Pegasos.
The mother, broken by the loss of her son, had previously tried to take her own life – without success. As she herself says, she came dangerously close to ending up in a state like a “cabbage in a vegetative state.” She then decided to take a “cleaner” path.
Pegasos approved Wendy Duffy’s request
Euthanasia for mental illnesses is highly controversial even in Switzerland. Organizations must demonstrate that a disease is serious, persistent and resistant to treatment. Many institutions, including Dignitas, generally reject such cases.
Why is Pegasos controversial?
Pegasos is a Basel-based euthanasia organization that offers assisted suicide for people from home and abroad. Unlike established clubs like Dignitas, Pegasos also accepts cases without a serious physical illness, such as mental suffering or old age without a fatal diagnosis.
This is exactly what makes the organization particularly controversial: critics accuse it of setting the hurdles too low and endangering vulnerable people. Proponents, on the other hand, see this as the right to self-determination about the end of one’s own life.
However, in Duffy’s case, a panel of experts, including psychiatrists, examined her application in detail. After months of assessment and viewing of her complete medical records, this was finally approved. A few days after her arrival in Switzerland and a final psychiatric assessment, euthanasia is to take place. “I have to administer the medication myself, that’s what the law requires,” she explains.
Ashes scattered in the park with those of her son
Duffy describes the process almost matter-of-factly to the Daily Mail reporter – “like a woman who is going on vacation to Barbados, has packed her bags, vacuumed the house and can already feel the sun on her face.” She had prepared and knew what to expect: “I watched videos. You look at trees and nature and it seems so peaceful. My only condition is that the big windows remain open so that my soul can be free.”
After her death, Wendy Duffy will be cremated in Switzerland. “My ashes will be sent back to my family and I want them to be scattered in the park” – along with those of her son, she concludes.
Do you or does someone you know have suicidal thoughts? Or have you lost someone to suicide?
You can find help here:
Jewish welfare, info@vsjf.ch
Karin Leuthold (kle), born in 1968, has been working for 20 Minuten since 2005 and is currently working at the news desk.
