When Marcus Dolman, 23, died unexpectedly in 2022 after choking on a tomato, his mother became grief-stricken. For years, Wendy Duffy tried to make peace with her son’s death, but it never happened for her. Duffy felt an overwhelming urge to end her life and attempted suicide by overdose but survived. As time went on, she continued to feel desperate and chose to travel from her home in the United Kingdom to Switzerland for assisted suicide. She died on April 24, 2026, just the way she wanted.
Duffy was of sound mind at the time of her death.
Pegasos Swiss Association approved Duffy’s request for assisted suicide. She paid the facility $13,000 to oversee her death, according to Daily Mail. Wendy was physically fine at the time of her death, but wanted to end her life on her own terms. She no longer had the will to live after losing Marcus.
“I want to die, and that’s what I’m going to do. My life; my choice,” she told the news outlet.
Duffy kept her phone charged next to her before her death.
Prior to taking her last breath, Duffy told Daily Mail she charged her phone because she’d received many calls and texts from those who wanted to say goodbye. She said it felt like “going out with a bit of a bang.” She also mentioned straightening up the room she was in and asked Pegasos to donate her belongings.
Duffy passed away peacefully on April 24.
The grieving mother had a filling meal, a hot shower, and time to meditate before she died. She told Daily Mail she planned to get her money’s worth. Duffy intended to listen to Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga’s Die With a Smile while holding one of Marcus’ shirts. Before ending her call with the reporter, she said, “Onwards and upwards. Ta-ra, Flower.”
Pegasos Swiss Association confirmed Duffy’s passing. “I can confirm that Wendy Duffy, at her own request, was assisted to die on April 24 and that the procedure was completed without incident and in full compliance with her wishes,” Pegasos founder Ruedi Habegger said.
“I can also confirm that neither we nor any of the professional staff assessing her mental capacity had any doubt as to her intention, understanding and independence of both thought and action,” the right-to-die activist added.
This is such a complex decision. But if Duffy felt she could not live without Marcus and she could safely end her life, then ultimately it was her choice to make. Hopefully, her loved ones accepted this painful decision and wished her well on the next phase of her journey. If it brought her peace, then that’s really all that matters anyway.
