Burnley women's manager Jackie Bachteler is preparing to lead her team from the dugout at Turf Moor for the first time on Sunday. The milestone arrives just nine months after the 37-year-old American coach fought for her life in an intensive care unit following a severe sepsis diagnosis.
Bachteler relocated from San Diego in December to take up a coaching role within Burnley's women's first team and men's academy. Initially, she dismissed escalating fatigue and physical exhaustion as a combination of heavy travel schedules and standard winter illness.
However, symptoms escalated rapidly during a morning arrival at the club training facility. After experiencing sudden disorientation and severe breathing difficulties, she alerted on-site medical staff who immediately identified dangerously low blood pressure and oxygen levels.
Emergency responders transferred her to a local hospital where her condition deteriorated further. Recalling the ordeal, Bachteler noted that she quickly realized the severity of the situation and feared for her life as medical personnel rushed to stabilize her with intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and oxygen support.
She spent multiple days in intensive care while doctors monitored her vital signs and organ function every twenty minutes. During the isolation of her hospital stay, her relatives remained in the United States while her wife was stranded in Finland due to severe winter weather.
The illness severely impacted her physical strength, leaving her temporarily unable to stand or walk unassisted. Confined to the hospital ward, she underwent extensive respiratory treatments and heavy antibiotic regimens before beginning a lengthy rehabilitation process that required her to relearn basic mobility.
The health crisis forced a temporary pause in her coaching career until July, when Burnley appointed her as the permanent manager of the women's side. Club officials and medical staff received high praise from Bachteler for their life-saving intervention and unwavering support during her recovery.
Despite returning to the touchline, Bachteler continues to manage post-sepsis syndrome, which brings persistent challenges including extreme fatigue and unexpected dizzy spells. During a recent pre-season fixture under intense heat, she experienced a sudden relapse in her symptoms that highlighted the ongoing nature of her recovery.
Sunday's home fixture against Sunderland in the Women's Super League 2 coincides with World Sepsis Day. Bachteler hopes that sharing her ordeal will raise public awareness regarding the life-threatening condition and encourage others to recognize its rapid onset.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.
