Beloved actress Catherine O’Hara, best known for her roles in “Home Alone” and “Schitt’s Creek,” lived for years unaware that her heart and major organs were positioned on the opposite side of her body. The rare congenital condition,dextrocardia with situs inversus,was discovered during a routine medical checkup,as O’Hara recounted in a 2021 interview. Her story highlights the often-hidden health challenges faced by those living with rare medical anomalies, and offers a glimpse into her characteristic humor and resilience.
Catherine O’Hara revealed in a 2021 interview that she lives with a rare congenital condition where her heart and other major organs are mirrored from their typical positions. The actress, known for her iconic roles in films like “Home Alone” and “Beetlejuice,” described the diagnosis as a surprising discovery during a routine medical checkup.
“Yes, I’m a weirdo!” O’Hara joked, playfully acknowledging her unique anatomy.
O’Hara explained that she learned about her condition while undergoing a tuberculosis test with her husband, Bo Welch, before their son started kindergarten. An electrocardiogram (EKG) raised concerns, prompting further testing and ultimately a chest X-ray, which confirmed the diagnosis.
“He ushered us into his office and said, ‘You’re the first one I’ve ever met!’” O’Hara recalled the doctor’s excitement at diagnosing the rare condition. “I don’t even know the name of it, because I don’t want to know the name of it. Something cardio-inversus. And then dextrocardia and something-inversus. People will think I’m so uneducated that I don’t know it, but I really don’t want to know it. Because I didn’t know it before.”
After receiving her diagnosis, O’Hara immediately contacted her family to share the news.
“I’m one of seven children,” O’Hara said.
“My parents were already gone, had left this world by that point. I’d never heard of it with anyone else. We drive home, and I’m thinking, ‘I’m thinking about my other siblings, do they know where their hearts are.’”
In a surprising coincidence, she learned later that same day from her sister-in-law that her brother had undergone a quadruple bypass surgery and was doing well. O’Hara added with a laugh that her own heart is “in the right place” – on the left side.
“So he somehow found out my story that day,” O’Hara joked. “But thank goodness he’s okay.”
She also recounted a humorous moment when her husband playfully teased her after the doctor revealed her diagnosis.
“When the doctor told us that my heart is on the right side and my organs are reversed, my husband immediately said, ‘No, her head is on backwards,’” O’Hara said with a smile, playfully rolling her eyes.
The condition, known as dextrocardia with situs inversus, is a rare congenital defect where the organs in the chest and abdomen are positioned as a mirror image of normal anatomy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This means, for example, the spleen might be on the right side instead of the left, and the liver on the left instead of the right.
How common is it?
The condition affects approximately 1 in 10,000 people and is more frequently observed in males. Enrique Iglesias, 50, and Donny Osmond, 68, are also known to live with the condition.
What causes it?
Doctors aren’t entirely certain, but it’s linked to genetic mutations. It’s inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning both parents must pass on the mutated gene for a child to be born with the condition.
What are the symptoms?
Many people experience no symptoms, as the organs are simply reversed but still function. This helps explain why O’Hara didn’t discover it earlier in life.
However, the mirrored arrangement can complicate the diagnosis of future medical problems, as symptoms may appear in unexpected locations. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, in some cases, dextrocardia with situs inversus is associated with other conditions or congenital defects that can cause symptoms like breathing problems, fatigue, frequent sinus or lung infections, jaundice, and pale or bluish skin due to low oxygen levels.
