Catherine O’Hara passed away peacefully at her Los Angeles home on 30 January 2026. While her family has not disclosed the exact cause of death, it has since emerged that O’Hara had been living with situs inversus totalis—a rare congenital condition in which the major internal organs are mirrored from their usual positions.

Situs inversus totalis affects roughly 1 in 10,000 people and is often discovered incidentally during medical imaging. In O’Hara’s case, her heart was located on the right side of her chest, with her liver and stomach reversed. Though the condition itself is not typically life-threatening, it can complicate diagnoses and emergency treatment. Some individuals may experience respiratory issues, digestive discomfort, or be at risk of associated syndromes such as Kartagener’s. O’Hara reportedly lived symptom-free for most of her life, only learning of her condition later through routine scans.

Her death has prompted a wave of tributes from fans and colleagues alike, celebrating her wit, warmth, and enduring legacy in film and television. As the public mourns, her story has brought renewed attention to the hidden complexities of human anatomy and the grace with which she carried a rare condition that few ever knew she had.