Burnley manager Jackie Bachteler will make her debut in the dugout at Turf Moor on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in her recovery from a life-threatening illness. The event also coincides with World Sepsis Day, an international campaign to raise awareness of sepsis, a severe immune response to infection that can be fatal if not treated quickly. Bachteler, an American, joined Burnley's coaching staff in December 2025, working with both the women's first team and the men's academy. However, just three weeks later, she was rushed to the emergency room and diagnosed with sepsis, an illness that left her bedridden for days and required months of recovery. Bachteler described the moment she realized something was wrong as "the whole room spin[ning]" when she walked into the training ground one morning. She struggled to breathe and instantly knew she was unwell. The men’s team doctor checked her and noted her dropping blood pressure and low oxygen levels, prompting immediate hospitalization. "I thought I was going to die," she told BBC Sport. "I just had this feeling in my body like 'this is it.'" During her hospital stay, Bachteler received treatment for her lungs and was initially sent home, but she insisted on further tests. Her condition worsened, with her blood pressure plummeting, and she became dizzy, confused, and developed skin blotches. After a blood test, multiple doctors rushed to her side. She received IV fluids, antibiotics, and an oxygen mask, spending a couple of days in the intensive care unit. Medical staff tested her blood every 20 minutes and monitored her organs. Her family could not be with her, and her wife was stuck in a snowstorm in Finland. Bachteler was alone in the hospital and unsure of what was happening. On her third day in the hospital, she tried to stand but could not. The nurses told her not to walk, which alarmed her. She underwent multiple treatments, including lung therapy, fluids, antibiotics, and assistance with basic tasks like using the bathroom. She described the experience as close to facing her mortality, giving her a new perspective on life. Bachteler had to relearn how to walk and put her coaching career on hold until Burnley welcomed her back in July as their new women's team manager. She still suffers from post-sepsis syndrome, which leads to dizzy spells and extreme fatigue. During a pre-season friendly, she became unwell and had to sit in a cafe freezer to calm down. She described the experience as mentally and physically challenging. Bachteler praised Burnley's support, stating that the club doctors "saved her life" and connected her with a respiratory specialist. She received messages of support from players and has delegated tasks to her coaching staff, whom she describes as "phenomenal." Her family has also supported her, but it has been mentally tough. In May, her parents flew over from the US, but she had to leave a restaurant due to extreme dizziness, causing her parents to cry. Bachteler continues to have respiratory therapy to improve her lungs and still struggles with fatigue, mental fog, memory loss, and tremors if she becomes too exhausted. She says she is about 70 to 80% recovered and credits the club, doctors, and the NHS for her recovery. She notes that if she had gone home when the emergency room tried to send her back, she wouldn't be sitting here today. Bachteler says she leaves work every day thankful for a second chance and remains grateful for the support of staff members at Burnley. Her near-death experience has helped put football into perspective. She hopes to use Sunday's match to raise awareness of sepsis symptoms. She says she didn't know much about sepsis before her experience, thinking it was something from Grey's Anatomy. She emphasizes that sepsis is a leading cause of death and a "silent killer," with over 50% of survivors experiencing post-sepsis syndrome. She hopes her story can help others recognize the signs and know they are not alone.