UK Woman Plans Assisted Death in Switzerland Over Son's Death

Wendy Duffy, a 56-year-old former care worker from the West Midlands in Britain, is scheduled to end her life on Friday at Pegasos, a Swiss assisted dying clinic, following the accidental death of her only son four years ago. Despite extensive therapy and medication, Duffy has described her grief as unbearable, marking her as the first person to publicly detail such plans ahead of the procedure.

The tragedy unfolded when Marcus Duffy, then 23, fell asleep on the sofa while eating a sandwich after a night of heavy drinking. Duffy, who has medical training, found him unresponsive and turning purple. She performed CPR and called for help, but paramedics discovered half a cherry tomato lodged in his windpipe, requiring specialist equipment to remove. Deprived of oxygen, Marcus suffered brain death. Duffy remained at his bedside for five days before life support was withdrawn. His organs were donated, including his heart to a father who wrote to express gratitude for being able to play with his children again, and to a four-year-old recipient. "That was a comfort, but it also ripped at me," Duffy said.

Marcus had been the center of Duffy's world since her pregnancy in 1998, after a...