Heather O'Rourke Memorial Fansite
Biography
Later that year, only two days after Christmas, in Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Diego, California, Heather Michele O'Rourke was born at 12:28 AM Pacific Time on December 27, 1975. She was welcomed into the world by her mother Kathleen, father Michael and older sister Tammy who was now aged four.
Heather lived in Santee, San Diego, California for most of her early life. She lived in a small house with her mother, father and older sister. Tammy's pre-school wasn't far away from the family home, only a few roads down. While Heather was in Kindergarten she attended Carlton Hills Elementary School.
Tammy began taking an interest in dance, Tammy performed on stage, Heather wanted to be like her older sister and often occompanied Tammy on stage and the two would do an act, Tammy performed a dance and Heather would sing. Heather and Tammy liked performing on stage together, they thought it was a lot of fun. In 1979, Heather performed on stage as a baby chick. Heather also won a local neigbourhood talent show.
Soon after, Heather began modelling for Mattel, she appeared on the box for 'Tuff Stuff Number Blocks' and appeared on print adds for 'My First Barbie' which she also appeared on the cover of the box for as well. Heather then began appearing in television commercials.
Heather, her mother Kathleen and older sister Tammy were in MGM Commisary, Tammy was a dancer in the movie Pennies From Heaven, Kathleen went over to buy some lunch for Heather and herself. Heather was reserving the table until her mother came back with lunch, a few tables away sat a man, he wasn't having a very good day, a needed a little girl, every mother's dream, a least six for his new movie Poltergeist, he thought he would have to go with Drew Barrymore, who had auditioned for the role. Suddenly, he saw Heather sitting a few tables away from him, he wondered why this little girl was sitting alone, he approached Heather asking her name, she replied "My name is Heather O'Rourke, but your a stranger so I can't talk to you" soon after, Kathleen came back to the table and the stranger introduced himself as Steven Spielberg. He then asked Heather how old she was, Heather replied "I'm five" and he explained he need a girl at least six, Heather just said "Fine" all Heather wanted to do was eat her B.L.T sandwich.
He asked Heather to come for an audition, Heather arrived with Kathleen and she had to go in with her, Steven Spielberg asked Heather to looked scared of a pink pig and purple fish, well she laughed and laughed and giggled, Heather had never seen a pink pig and purple fish before. He asked Heather to scream a lot, she screamed and screamed till she broke down in tears, Heather had a lot of patience for a five year but eventually, Heather said "I really can't do anymore." and he thought Heather was just a little too young. The next day Steven Spielberg spoke with Kathleen and said she got the job, he said he saw something in her.
Poltergeist was released in 1982 and was a box office success, and little Heather was a star. Steven Spielberg had found his star to play Carol Anne Freeling.
However, it was in 1981 that Kathleen and Michael O'Rourke divorced, this lead to Heather not seeing her biological father very much.
After the success of Poltergeist, Heather was asked to be a recurring character on the television series Happy Days. They asked Kathleen is Heather was okay with a live audience, Kathleen was unsure, so she asked Heather, and she replied "Sure, no problem." Kathleen was unsure at first because so knew Heather was a bit shy, Kathleen eventually thought it gave Heather courage to speak up and not be afraid of the people. Heather's role was the daughter of Ashley Pfister, Fonzie's love interest. Heather appeared during season 10 and played the role, Heather Pfister from 1982 until 1983.
Also, in 1983 Heather began attending Stoddard Elementary School. The school was located in Anaheim, Heather attended here from 1983 til 1984.
In 1983, Heather starred as herself alongside Morey Amsterdam in the television special Believe You Can... And You Can! which was to promote the new Fantasyland in Disneyland. Throughout 1983, Heather had many guest appearances in certain television shows such as: CHiPs, Matt Houston, Webster. And in 1984 she had a guest appearance as Jillian Marsh in an episode of Finer of Lost Lovers.
After Heather had begun work as an actress, this allowed Kathleen, Tammy and Heather to move to a home in Big Bear Lake, California. Around 1984 Kathleen married truck driver James A. "Jim" Peele. Because Heather rarely saw her biological father, she called her step-father "Dad". When Heather wasn't filming, she attended Big Bear Elementary School.
When Heather wasn't acting in films or television shows, she was like any other child, she went to school and was a Straight-A student. Heather was an avid reader, a teacher at one of her schools honoured this by creating a 'Heather O'Rourke Love of Reading Week' she liked reading mostly the same books as Tammy. Heather loved swimming as it was one of her favorite sports. Heather had a Cabbage Patch Kids collection, by 1986 Heather had sixteen of them, she loved dolls, and also playing with her Barbie's although, the preferred to play with these alone. Heather loved pizza, her favorite topping was pepperoni an her favorite type of ice cream was chocolate and she adored eating sweets. Heather also liked to sew, she would often make dresses for her dolls. Heather loved animals too and had a St Bernard named "B" and also two goldfish, which were featured in Poltergeist as they were a present from the crew of Poltergeist, they were named Tweety 2 and Tweety 3.
In 1985, Heather secured herself a role in the television-film, Surviving: A Family In Crisis. A film which centered around the topic of teenage suicide. Heather played Sarah Brogan, this project also starred: Molly Ringwald, Zach Galligan and River Phoenix.
Production on Poltergeist II: The Other Side started in 1985, all the cast came back for the second installment. However, it had a new director, Brian Gibson. Heather didn't think the second film was scary at all, and thought the magic of Spielberg was missing. Then Poltergeist II: The Other Side was released on May 23, 1986.
Heather's acting career continued as she had guest appearances on television shows such as: The New Leave It To Beaver where she starred as Heather for two episodes, in 1987 she starred as Dana in an episode of the television show Our House, and she then starred in an episode of Rocky Road.
In early 1987, Heather became unwell, she was suffering which seemed to be flu-like symptoms and her hands and feet swelled, Kathleen took Heather to Kaiser Permanente Hospital and they said it was only the flu and it would pass. Heather's flu-like symptoms carried on, Kathleen took Heather back, they then said she had Chrone's Disease, they put Heather on medication, it was Cortisone.
While living in Big Bear, Heather caught a parasite from drinking well water, she was cured.
During production on Poltergeist III, Heather was on her medication, the side affect was causing her cheeks to appear puffy in some scenes. Heather didn't complain once during filming and did not appear sick to fellow cast members. Heather completed Poltergeist III in June 1987, she was excited for the release of Poltergeist III and she couldn't wait for her cheeks to go back to normal.
Heather came off her medication and she felt great. In the late June of 1987, Heather and her family took a road trip from Chicago to New Orleanes and then back home to Lakeside, California where Heather and her family lived at the time.
On Friday January 29, 1988 Heather began to feel unwell again, she stated to her older sister Tammy that she didn't feel like attending P.E. class that day however, she never said why. Heather decided to attend that lesson anyway because it wasn't a long lesson.
The next day on Saturday January 30, 1988 Heather woke up still feeling unwell, like she did the day before, Heather wasn't feeling to bad by the evening and went out to have a meal with her family at a place where Tammy worked.
However, on Sunday January 31, 1988 it was apparent Heather wasn't feeling much better, she stayed on the sofa for most of the day and watched the Super Bowel on television, Heather's mother Kathleen checked on Heather to make sure she was okay, she kept Heather on the sofa to keep her comfortable, she gave Heather lots of fluids as recommended by the doctor. During the night, Heather said she was feeling sick, she got into bed with her mother Kathleen and step-father, Heather said her stomach was in pain and felt like it was on 'fire'.
February 1, 1988 Heather got out of bed and went into the kitchen, Kathleen was cooking breakfast. Heather sat down at the kitchen table, Heather was feeling really unwell. Heather said to her mother she still wanted to go into school as she was worried about missing it, Kathleen made Heather some toast as she thought about if she would keep Heather off school that day, Heather was having trouble eating her toast, she said "Mom, I can't swallow" this worried Kathleen, she also noticed Heather's hands and fingers were turning blue, they were also cold, Kathleen also noticed Heather was having trouble breathing. Kathleen rang the doctor and said "I have a little girl here and her fingers are turning blue" they told Kathleen to bring Heather in right away. Kathleen told Heather to go and get her clothes on, Heather got up, in a matter of thirty seconds Heather had fallen to the floor, she had fainted. Heather's step-father rang for the paramedics, Kathleen and Jim Peele sat with Heather on the floor, when the paramedics arrived, they asked Heather if she was feeling bad, to which Heather replied "Just a little." They next gave Heather an oxygen mask, Heather protested "I don't need no oxygen, I'm fine" Kathleen told Heather that she need the oxygen. Kathleen and Heather went out the door, outside Heather threw up, she said "I'm sorry, mom" to which Kathleen said "I love you" Kathleen and Heather got into the ambulance, Heather said to her mother "I love you" on the way to the hospital, Heather went into Cardiac Arrest.
After they resuscitated Heather they next airlifted her to Children's Hospital and Health Center in San Diego, California. They found that Heather had not been suffering from the flu or Chrone's Disease, she actually had Intestinal Stenosis, Heather had an acute bowel obstruction. They asked Kathleen if they could perform surgery on Heather to which Kathleen said yes to. They told Kathleen, Heather might not survive the surgery. About half an hour later they came out and said she didn't make it. Heather Michele O'Rourke was pronounced dead at 2:43 PM on February 1, 1988. She was just twelve years old.
Heather had been misdiagnosed by Kaiser, Heather actually had an acute bowel obstruction, it should have been treated surgically rather than medically. If it was caught early enough, it could have been treated with a rarely simple operation, which could have saved her life.
Out of all her film and television appearances, Heather was most proud of being allected Student Body President of her fifth grade class in 1985. At the time of Heather's death she was attending Tierra Del Sol Middle School.
After Heather's death, Kathleen said the wrong diagnosis was responsible for her death. Heather was buried on February 5, 1988 in Westwood Memorial Park Cemetary, Los Angeles, California, United States.
