Woman who had no idea healthy twin sister ended life at Swiss clinic speaks out

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide and assisted dying, which some readers may find distressing.

The twin of a mother who flew to Switzerland to end her life via assisted suicide has come out to refute claims made by the clinic.

The sister, who wishes to remain anonymous, per the Mirror, explained how she felt when she learned of her sister’s passing through assisted dying.

The method, which is currently illegal in the UK, has seen several Brits taking to Switzerland to end their lives, often due to being diagnosed with an incurable or terminal illness.

But for Wendy Duffy, she was granted permission to end her life at Pegasos clinic, four years after her son Marcus sadly choked to death on a sandwich she made him in the family living room.

Wendy Duffy passed away at the Pegasos Clinic (Family Handout)

The 56-year-old travelled to the country to end her life on 24 April, where Pegasos later confirmed that Wendy had passed away 'without incident and in full compliance with her wishes'.

However, her sister has revealed that this was a choice that nobody ‘saw it coming at all’, despite Pegasos’ claims they told the woman’s four siblings of her plan.

The founder of the Pegasos clinic, Ruedi Habegger, told the Daily Mail: "What I can confirm is that four siblings have been informed. They gave their blessings."

The sister told LBC: "We knew nothing about it, none of us saw it coming at all."

She went on to say her daughter was the one to find out about her aunt’s death via social media, and showed her mother that her sister had died.

She said: "If I'd have known, I would have been straight down to Birmingham, and I would have stopped her. I would have done everything in my power; I would have held on with both arms."

This came after the death of her son, Marcus, four years ago (GoFundMe)

The former West Midlands care worker had previously spoken out that her choice to die would be 'hard for everyone' but said it is what she wanted.

"I'll have a smile on my face when I do, so please be happy for me," she said. "My life; my choice."

Wendy confirmed she would 'go out to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars singing Die With A Smile'.

Wendy's nephew, who is also named Marcus, also slammed the clinic for allowing it to happen, claiming his aunt was clearly mentally unwell after losing her son, despite Pegasos stating she passed her last psychiatric test.

He said: "Pegasos claimed they consulted family members as part of the decision-making process and spoke to all four siblings. This never took place. No one was contacted."

Marcus said: "In this case, Pegasos has taken a completely healthy 56-year-old woman, and not disqualified her on behalf of those mental health issues. How can someone, by virtue of suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, be deemed of sound mind?"

LADbible reached out to Pegasos for comment.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.

For advice, support, and more information, you can contact the nurse-led specialist team at Compassion in Dying via their helpline 0800 999 2434. You can also email them at [email protected].

Additionally, if you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.