Emmy award-winning actress Catherine O’Hara passed away last Friday at the age of 71 after what her representatives said was a “brief illness.” The “Schitt’s Creek” star had revealed earlier that she suffered from a rare congenital disorder.

Dextrocardia with situs inversus, in which the major visceral organs are reversed or mirrored from their normal positions, affects only one in 10,000 people. For example, the heart may be located on the right side of the chest instead of the left, and other organs such as the liver and spleen are also situated on the opposite sides.

While many people with situs inversus live healthy lives, the condition can sometimes be associated with other medical issues, depending on whether the organ reversal affects function or is accompanied by additional anomalies.

According to USA TODAY, it’s not known whether her condition caused her death. The Canadian-born comedienne learned about her condition after undergoing an electrocardiography test and x-ray exam.

"When the doctor told us that my heart was on the right side and my organs were flipped, my husband immediately said, 'No, her head’s on backwards,’” the “Home Alone” star revealed.

Upon learning she had dextrocardia with situs inversus, O'Hara said she sought to learn as little as possible, quipping, "I love Western medicine. I just don't want to be part of it."

Experts are not sure what causes the condition, but it is inherited through an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both parents must pass the mutated gene to their children.

The condition does not typically cause symptoms because while the organs are reversed, they function normally. However, medical issues may arise in some cases and result in fatigue, frequent sinus or lung infections, jaundice or pale bluish skin due to lack of oxygen, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Experts say it is not medically advisable to “reverse” the organs back into place in people with the disorder. However, if complications arise, the patient may be treated with antibiotics for infections or other medications to support heart and lung function.

O’Hara is survived by Welch, her husband of 33 years and their two sons, Matthew, 31 and Luke, 29.