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Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975 in Santee, San Diego, California. She was the second and youngest child of Kathleen and Michael O'Rourke.

Heather had one older sister named Tammy Lorraine O'Rourke.

 

Heather began appearing on stage with Tammy. Heather then modelled for Mattel on the cover of "Tuff Stuff Number Blocks" and appeared in the print add for "My First Barbie" and afterwards Heather appeared in commercials on television.

 

Heather rose to stardom at the age of five, appearing as Carol Anne Freeling in Poltergeist and its sequels. Heather also had a recurring role on the the show Happy Days. She also did many guest appearances during different shows.

 

In the Janruary of 1988, Heather began having flu-like symptoms, she was taken to Kaiser Hospital, they confirmed it was only the flu. When the symptoms continued she was taken back, the doctors at Kaiser Hospital then said she had Chrone's Disease, she was put onto medication which caused her cheeks to appear puffy in some scenes during her last project, Poltergeist III.

 

On February 1, 1988 Heather was really unwell, she couldn't swallow her food or keep it down. Her fingers began turning blue, the paramedics were called, she got into the ambulance and she began suffering from Cardiac Arrest and Septic Shock, they tried to resuscitate Heather, she was then airlifted to San Diego Children's Hospital, she died later that day on the operating table, the doctors there said she did not have Chrone's Disease, but rather an acute bowel obstruction known as Intestinal Stenosis. The doctors at Kaiser Hospital had misdiagnosed her. Heather was 12 years old.

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