Wendy Duffy, aged 56, from the West Midlands, has paid £10,000 to end her life at Pegasos, a Swiss assisted dying clinic. The healthy mother of one lost her only son, Marcus, aged 23, four years ago.
In an interview with MailOnline ahead of her travel, 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."
What is the assisted dying law in the UK?
Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a person's life to relieve suffering. For example, it could be considered euthanasia if a doctor deliberately gave a patient with a terminal illness a drug they do not otherwise need, such as an overdose of sedatives or muscle relaxant, with the sole aim of ending their life.
Assisted suicide is the act of deliberately assisting another person to kill themselves. If a relative of a person with a terminal illness obtained strong sedatives, knowing the person intended to use them to kill themselves, the relative may be considered to be assisting suicide.
Isn't the law changing?
Kim Leadbeater's Bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults has now completed all its steps in the House of Commons. The Bill was subject to more than 100 hours of scrutiny by the Commons and amended in consultation with government legal advisers to ensure it is safe and workable.
On Friday 20 June 2025, a majority of MPs voted for the Bill to progress to the House of Lords, with 314 voting in favour and 291 voting against. On Friday 19 September 2025, the Bill received its Second reading in the House of Lords.
It proposes that adults who are terminally ill, mentally competent, and have six months to live or less should have the option to choose assisted dying. The Bill offers choice only to terminally ill adults with mental capacity if they are expected to die within six months. The bill specifically excludes people with disabilities or mental illness alone if they are not terminally ill. Mental capacity is required throughout the process, to be assessed by medical, legal and social care professionals on at least five occasions.
So, what's the law in Switzerland?
Put simply, in Switzerland, there is no national law on assisted suicide. Pegasos, a non-profit based in Basel, Switzerland, believes that it is the human right of every rational adult of sound mind, regardless of state of health, to choose the manner and timing of their death.
