Isabelle Tate, “9-1-1: Nashville” actor who died at 23, had Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, agency says

Actor Isabelle Tate, who died Sunday at age 23, had a neurological condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, her talent agency said on social media Thursday. Tate starred in a recent episode of “9-1-1: Nashville.”

“We are deeply saddened and completely heartbroken to share that Isabelle Tate passed away on October 19th,” the McCray Agency wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday. “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.”

In a statement provided to CBS News Friday, Tate’s family confirmed her death from “a rare form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.”

Her family said that she had “recently returned to acting,” booking a role on the first episode of “9-1-1: Nashville,” which filmed in June and aired earlier this month. 

The family requested memorial contributions be made to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association, a nonprofit focused on developing new treatments for the disease.

In 2022, Tate shared that she was diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease at the age of 13, writing in an Instagram post that it weakens her legs over time. She did not name the disease.

“Recently, it’s really progressed and I’ve come to terms that if I want to live my life to the fullest I need to use a wheelchair at times,” she wrote. 

Tate’s death was also announced via an online obituary, which described her as “full of fire, a fighter, never once making excuses for the fact that she might have a disability relative to others.”

According to the obituary, Tate was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University. 

What is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease? 

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, or CMT, is a group of inherited conditions that cause nerve damage and smaller, weaker muscles, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“It also may cause trouble walking, and loss of feeling in the legs and feet,” the clinic said, adding symptoms typically arise in the teen years or early adulthood.

Others may experience tremors, problems with hearing and vision and in rare cases, breathing difficulties, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

While CMT is not a fatal disease, certain symptoms can lead to complications like injuries from falls, infections going unnoticed or breathing issues, which can be “especially dangerous at night,” Johns Hopkins Medicine said, and may require a nighttime breathing assistive device.

While there is no cure for CMT, treatments — such as physical therapy, orthopedic devices like braces, surgery and medication — can help manage symptoms, the neurological disorders institute said.