'I thought I was going to die' - Burnley boss on sepsis scare

What the report says

Burnley women’s manager Jackie Bachteler is set to take charge at Turf Moor for the first time on Sunday, but the occasion comes after a severe health scare that nearly ended her life. BBC Sport reports that the American coach joined Burnley in December to work with the women’s first team and men’s academy, then fell seriously ill only weeks later and was diagnosed with sepsis after being rushed to hospital.

According to the BBC, Bachteler’s condition deteriorated quickly, leaving her in intensive care for several days, unable to stand and needing oxygen, fluids and antibiotics. She later had to relearn how to walk and delayed her return to football while recovering. Burnley brought her back in July as women’s team manager, and she says she still experiences post-sepsis symptoms including fatigue, dizziness, brain fog and tremors when exhausted.

Bachteler said the club’s medical staff and wider support network helped her survive and recover, and she continues to receive respiratory therapy and specialist care. Her family also struggled with the ordeal, as she was hospitalised alone while relatives and her wife were overseas.

She hopes to use Sunday’s Women’s Super League 2 match against Sunderland, which falls on World Sepsis Day, to raise awareness of sepsis symptoms and encourage others to seek help early. The story underlines both the medical risks of sepsis and the long recovery many survivors face.