The young actress from 9-1-1 Nashville, who passed away at the age of 23, was battling a neurological disorder that impacts around 3 million individuals globally, her family disclosed.

Isabelle Tate’s passing was announced on Thursday, with her family stating that she succumbed on Sunday to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). This genetic disorder leads to the gradual degeneration of peripheral nerves, particularly in the hands and legs.

According to medical experts, patients with CMT initially experience muscle weakness in their arms and legs, which can progress to difficulty in moving limbs and loss of sensation in those areas.

However, the disease is generally not life-threatening for the majority of those affected.

In some uncommon instances, CMT can impact the muscles involved in breathing, leading to a gradual depletion of oxygen. Tate’s family noted that she suffered from a particularly severe form of this condition.

In a 2022 Instagram post, Tate candidly shared her struggles with the disease, mentioning how her condition had ‘really progressed.’

She said: ‘When I was 13, I got diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease that weakens leg muscles over time.

‘Over the years, I was going on with my life and would notice little things get more difficult for me, but not so much where it stood out to me.’

An obituary for Isabelle Tate describes her as someone who ‘wanted to change the world’ and ‘full of fire’

She continued: ‘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.

‘This has been a difficult journey for me because having to accept help and surrender to the progression of this condition has been hard.’

CMT is considered to be a rare disease, but is one of the most common inherited nerve disorders, estimated to affect one in 2,500 people in the US and 3million worldwide.

It is named after the three doctors who described the disease in 1886, Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie and Howard Henry Tooth.

There are more than 160 subtypes that have been identified to date, the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association says, all caused by genetic mutations that cause essential proteins for nerves not to function properly.

Among the most common are CMT1, where fatty sheets coating nerves degrade, causing damage to the cells, and CMT2, which affects the nerve fibers that transmit impulses from nerve cell bodies to muscles and sensory organs.

Among the deadliest form is CMT Type 4J, which is caused by mutations in the FIG4 gene, important for controlling the transfer of nutrients in nerve cells. 

This type of the disease can progress rapidly and cause respiratory complications, with many sufferers dying in childhood.

It was not clear which type Tate was suffering from.

Isabelle Tate received a Bachelor’s Degree in business from Middle Tennessee State University

Isabelle Tate played Julie in the pilot episode of the Leann Rimes-led show 9-1-1 Nashville; Seen in a still above

Patients suffering from the condition normally have the disease diagnosed between the ages of five and 15 years, when symptoms first start to appear.

Early warning signs can include appearing unusually clumsy or accident-prone, difficulty walking and toes dropping forward as someone lifts their feet.

In later stages, patients suffer from weakened muscles and a lack of sensation in the arms and feet. 

They may also have cold hands and feet caused by poor circulation, and feel tired regularly as a result of the extra effort it takes to move around.

Doctors diagnose the disease using a physical examination for muscle weakness, a nerve conduction test and a genetic test.

There is no cure for the disease, but therapies are available to help reduce the symptoms of the condition. 

Many patients will be offered physical therapy to strengthen muscles and reduce the risk of unwanted contractions. Patients may also receive walking aides, such as insoles in their shoes, and therapy to help them identify areas in life where they are struggling.

Country singer Alan Jackson also revealed he was diagnosed with the disease.

Jackson was not diagnosed until he was 52 years old and is still alive today, having turned 67 years old this month.