Welby, who suffered from muscular dystrophy and was paralyzed, had battled unsuccessfully in the Italian courts for the right to die. After Riccio gave him a sedative and switched off the respirator, Welby said “thank you” three times to his wife, his friends, and his doctor.
12月21日，意大利医生马里奥·列奇关闭了维持韦尔比生命的呼吸机。韦尔比此前饱受肌肉萎缩折磨并导致瘫痪，又在意大利法庭上力争死亡的权力未果。在列奇给他镇静剂并关闭呼吸机后，韦尔比向妻子、朋友和医生说了三遍“谢谢”，45分钟过后，他与世长辞。