Two Britons, Wendy Duffy and Martin Larsson, are planning to travel to Switzerland to end their lives at assisted suicide clinics, each driven by different personal circumstances.
Wendy Duffy, a 56-year-old former care worker from the West Midlands, plans to travel to Switzerland to end her life at the Pegasos suicide clinic, according to major media reports. Despite being physically healthy and not terminally ill, Duffy says she wants to die due to grief over the loss of her 23-year-old son Marcus four years ago. She has paid £10,000 for the assisted suicide and has made preparations including writing letters and choosing music. According to Daily Mail - Home, Duffy described her decision as final, saying she will have a smile on her face when she dies. She also mentioned starting a digital countdown on her phone after receiving approval late last year. Duffy has chosen to go out to the song "Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. She previously attempted suicide and nearly ended up in a persistent vegetative state. Duffy explained that she considered other methods but rejected them to avoid traumatizing others.
Martin Larsson, a 28-year-old with an aggressive form of MS, is also seeking assisted suicide in Switzerland, according to major media reports. Larsson can barely move anything below his shoulders due to his condition. According to Expressen, Larsson described the difficulty of telling his family about his thoughts of assisted suicide.
It is unclear whether Duffy has already traveled to Switzerland and ended her life, and the exact timeline for Larsson's planned assisted suicide remains unknown. The specific acceptance criteria of the Pegasos clinic compared to other organizations like Dignitas are not detailed in reports. Additionally, what therapy Duffy has undergone and why it did not help her grief is not specified. How Swiss authorities view cases like Duffy's, where the person is not terminally ill, is also not addressed in available information.