Heather O'Rourke

 Heather O'Rourke (December 27, 1975 – February 1, 1988)

She was discovered by director Steven Spielberg when she was visiting MGM's studios. Spielberg cast her as Carol Anne Freeling in the 1982 horror film Poltergeist, where she had the movie's most recognizable line: "They're here!" She reprised the role in the second and third installments. O'Rourke also had a recurring role on Happy Days from 1982 to 1983, and she made several television guest appearances. O'Rourke became ill in early 1987 and was misdiagnosed by doctors at Kaiser Permanente Hospital as having Crohn's disease. She was prescribed prednisone to treat the disease, which caused her cheeks to appear puffy and large. On January 31, 1988, O'Rourke suddenly became ill again, vomiting and unable to keep anything in her stomach. The next morning she collapsed while preparing to leave for the hospital and her stepfather called paramedics. O'Rourke suffered a cardiac arrest en route to the hospital, and after resuscitation she was airlifted by helicopter to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, where she died later that day. Speaking to reporters, O'Rourke's manager David Wardlow initially announced that it was believed she died of influenza. However, hospital spokesman Vincent Bond announced that O'Rourke died during surgery to repair an acute bowel obstruction (caused by congenital stenosis of the intestine). complicated by septic shock; this report was corroborated by the San Diego County coroner's office on February 3, two days after her death. Later reports changed the specific cause of death to cardiac arrest caused by septic shock brought on by the intestinal stenosis. She is interred at Westwood Memorial Park .