what happened to the little girl from poltergeist

Heather ORourke played Carol Anne Freeling, the young suburban girl who becomes the conduit and target for supernatural entities in the movie Poltergeist. During production, Steven Spielberg, the director, twice accommodated the child actress when she was frightened. When she was scared by performing a particular stunt, Spielberg replaced ORourke with a stunt double wearing a blonde wig, and when she was disturbed by the portrayal of child abuse, Spielberg did not require her to perform the take again. Heather ORourke died on February 1, 1988, at the age of 12, following two cardiac arrests. Her cause of death was later ruled as congenital stenosis of the intestine complicated by septic shock.