Catherine O’Hara had situs inversus: Here’s what to know about the rare genetic condition

The entertainment industry is in shock over the death of Catherine O’ Hara, the Canadian actress who died on Friday at the age of 71. While the world celebrates her iconic performances in Beetlejuice, Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek, her death has also brought attention to the rare genetic condition she has lived with for most of her life: her organs are in the ‘wrong’ place.

Catherine O’Hara: The legendary star’s rare medical history

Catherine O’ Hara died at her home in Los Angeles after a ‘brief illness‘. While the cause of death has not been officially determined, she was well known for being born with a condition called ‘situs inversus’. This is a rare genetic condition that causes the organs in the chest and abdominal cavities to be reversed from the normal human position.

In Catherine’s particular instance, she also had dextrocardia, where her heart was on the right side of her chest instead of the left. When speaking about the discovery in 2020, she jokingly said that she was a ‘freak’ and remembered the confusion during a routine check-up twenty years ago. When a doctor had trouble with two separate EKG machines, a chest X-ray revealed the truth. "He calls us into his office and says, ‘You’re the first one I’ve met!’" Catherine remembered with her trademark wit.

According to medical professionals, situs inversus occurs in 1 out of 10,000 individuals. Although it appears to be a serious condition, it is usually benign, and most people live out their lives without realising that they have reversed anatomy. It is usually only found incidentally during unrelated medical procedures.

For Catherine, the diagnosis was just another installment in a life that had been defined by humour and elegance. Her husband, Bo Welch, even joked that her "head was on backwards" at the time. As the industry looks back on the passing of a comedic genius, her story is a reminder of her special brand of humour, both on and off the screen.

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