Isabelle Tate, known for her role in Nashville 9-1-1, has passed away at the age of 23, as confirmed by her agency.
The young actress, who aspired to ‘change the world,’ succumbed to a ‘rare form’ of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease on Sunday, October 19.
Her talent agency, The McCray Agency, expressed their profound sorrow over her passing in an Instagram post.
The agency revealed: “I’ve known Izzy since she was a teenager, and she recently returned to acting.
“She booked the first series she auditioned for, 9-1-1 Nashville. She had a wonderful time.”
Tate appeared as a bachelorette party guest involved in an accident during the pilot episode of the ABC show, which aired on October 9.
A graduate in business from Middle Tennessee State University, Tate ‘never once’ allowed her disability to be an excuse, according to an obituary shared by her family.
The tribute described her as ‘full of fire’ and ‘a fighter,’ highlighting her love for volunteering, especially with animals. “Her idea of a fun outing was visiting an animal shelter and doling out lots of love,” it stated.
“Musically inclined, she spent hours writing and recording songs with friends, even publishing a few,” it continued.
“However, what she cherished most was being with family and friends, always the life of the party.
“Her sister was her best friend, and her mom was her shining beacon of light.”
The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) explains that CMT is a collection of ‘multisystem, multiorgan diseases’ resulting from mutations in over 130 genes.
This condition affects peripheral nerves, which connect the brain and spinal cord to the body, influencing movement, sensation, hearing, and organ function.
Symptoms may include muscle weakness and atrophy in the arms and legs, spinal deformities, hip dysplasia, hearing loss, and breathing difficulties.
The disease can also cause chronic pain, muscle weakness, walking difficulties, balance issues, or numbness.
These symptoms are lifelong and tend to worsen over time.
Globally, more than three million people are affected by CMT.
The disease is named after the three physicians who first described it in 1886: Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie, and Howard Henry Tooth.
In a 2022 Instagram post, Tate shared her journey with CMT, diagnosed at just 13 years old.
CMT affected the muscles in her legs, and over time, she noticed everyday tasks becoming more challenging.
By 2022, the disease had advanced to a point where she required a wheelchair.
She expressed that coming to terms with the progression of her condition ‘has been extremely hard.’
“I don’t know why these were the cards I was dealt in life, but I can’t change it, so I’m choosing to embrace it and not let it define me,” she wrote.
“This has really changed my perspective on life, and if I’ve learned anything from this, it’s to appreciate the little things that are easily taken for granted.”
Instead of flowers, her family has asked for donations in her memory to be made to the CMTA.