Catherine O'Hara's Rare Medical Condition: What is Situs Inversus?
The entertainment world is mourning the loss of beloved actress Catherine O'Hara, who passed away at her Los Angeles home at the age of 71. While the cause of her death following a brief illness has not been officially disclosed, O'Hara previously revealed she lived with a unique and rare medical condition known as situs inversus.
The Accidental Diagnosis of a Rare Condition
Catherine O'Hara's diagnosis of situs inversus came about almost by accident. During a 2021 interview with Katherine Hall, she recounted how she discovered her condition when her sons were young. She and her husband were asked to undergo some medical tests ahead of their son starting nursery school.
"When the nurse did a scan on her, she thought, at first, there was a problem with the machine," O'Hara explained. The scan revealed that her internal organs were positioned on opposite sides of her body from where they typically reside.
O'Hara admitted she deliberately avoided learning the medical name for her condition initially, stating: "I don't even know the name because I don't want to know the name. People are going to think I'm so ignorant not to know the name, but I kind of don't want to know, because I didn't know before that."
Understanding Situs Inversus: A Medical Explanation
According to NHS guidance, situs inversus is a condition where major organs are positioned on the opposite side of the body from their normal placement. For instance, the heart might be located on the right side rather than the left, or the liver and gallbladder could be situated on the left side instead of the right.
The Cleveland Clinic notes that this rare condition affects approximately 1 in every 10,000 people and is more commonly diagnosed in men than women. It results from various genetic mutations and can occur independently or in association with other medical issues.
Patients with situs inversus might experience:
- Heart positioned on the right side of the chest
- Liver and gallbladder located on the left side
- Stomach and spleen situated on the right side
Different Types of Situs Inversus
Medical professionals recognise several variations of this condition:
- Dextrocardia with situs inversus: This occurs when the tip of the heart points toward the right side of the chest while other organs are also flipped to opposite sides.
- Levocardia with situs inversus: A rarer form where the heart remains in its normal leftward position, but other internal organs are inverted. This type is frequently associated with additional cardiac defects.
Situs inversus is often observed in individuals diagnosed with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a condition affecting the small, hair-like structures that help clear mucus from airways.
O'Hara's Personal Experience and Family History
When Catherine O'Hara's doctor explained that her heart was on the right side and her organs were flipped, her husband Bo Welch humorously responded: "No, her head's on backwards."
O'Hara noted that she was one of seven children, and by the time she received her diagnosis when her sons were little, her parents had already passed away. She subsequently discovered no other family members, including her siblings, shared this condition.
A Celebrated Career and Heartfelt Tributes
Catherine O'Hara leaves behind an extraordinary acting legacy spanning decades. Best known for her roles as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice (1988) and Kate McCallister, Macaulay Culkin's on-screen mother in Home Alone (1990) and its sequel, she also enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with director Tim Burton.
Her portrayal of Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek earned her numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe, Critics' Choice Award, and an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020.
Following her death, tributes poured in from colleagues and friends. Macaulay Culkin wrote on Instagram: "Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say. I love you. I'll see you later."
Eugene and Dan Levy, her Schitt's Creek collaborators, described her as a "gift" to the entertainment industry and to those who knew her personally.
Catherine O'Hara is survived by her husband of more than 30 years, production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke Welch.
