Catherine O'Hara's Rare Genetic Condition: Understanding Situs Inversus

• Acclaimed Canadian-American actor Catherine O’Hara, known for roles in Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek, passed away at 71 on January 30, 2026.
• O’Hara privately lived with situs inversus, a rare genetic condition where internal organs are positioned in reverse, which she revealed in 2020.
• She discovered the condition nearly two decades prior during a routine EKG with her husband, Bo Welch, where doctors noted unusual organ placement.
• Situs inversus affects about 1 in 10,000 people, is often inherited, and typically causes no symptoms as organs function normally despite reversed positions.
• O'Hara reportedly had dextrocardia, a form of situs inversus where the heart points right; the cause of her death was a brief illness, not directly linked to this condition.

Why It Matters: Catherine O'Hara lived with situs inversus, a rare genetic condition where organs are reversed, often asymptomatic.