Report on the Passing of Isabelle Tate and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals
1.0 Incident Summary
- On October 19, actress Isabelle Tate passed away at the age of 23.
- The cause of death was confirmed by her talent agency, The McCray Agency, as a rare form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.
- Ms. Tate was an aspiring actress who had recently secured her first major role on the ABC series “9-1-1: Nashville.”
- The family has requested privacy and suggested donations to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) in her memory.
2.0 Connection to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
The circumstances surrounding Ms. Tate’s death highlight the importance of Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
- Focus on Non-Communicable and Rare Diseases: Ms. Tate’s passing from CMT, a progressive, multi-system disease, underscores the global health challenge posed by rare and non-communicable diseases (Target 3.4). The lack of cures for such conditions emphasizes the need for continued medical research and support systems.
- Supporting Health Organizations: The family’s directive to channel support towards the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) directly contributes to SDG 3 by strengthening organizations dedicated to research, patient support, and raising awareness for specific health conditions.
3.0 Connection to SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Isabelle Tate’s career and life story resonate strongly with Sustainable Development Goal 10, which calls for reducing inequality within and among countries, particularly by empowering and promoting the social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
- Empowerment and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities: The report notes that CMT confined Ms. Tate to a wheelchair. Her success in securing a major acting role serves as a significant example of professional inclusion for persons with disabilities in the arts and media (Target 10.2).
- Challenging Perceptions of Disability: Her obituary describes her as a “fighter” who “never once [made] excuses for the fact that she might have a disability.” This attitude promotes a narrative of empowerment and capability, challenging societal barriers and perceptions that contribute to inequality.
4.0 Connection to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
The coordinated response to Ms. Tate’s passing exemplifies Sustainable Development Goal 17, which encourages partnerships between various societal actors to achieve sustainable development objectives.
- Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: A partnership was formed between the family, a private entity (The McCray Agency), and a non-profit organization (the CMTA). This collaboration effectively transformed a personal tragedy into an opportunity to mobilize resources and awareness for a global health issue.
- Public Awareness and Mobilization: The talent agency utilized its public platform to disseminate information and direct support towards the CMTA. The production company’s plan to feature an “in memoriam” card further leverages media to honor an individual and, by extension, raise awareness, demonstrating a partnership for a common good.
Analysis of SDGs in the Article
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
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SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
The article is centered on the death of Isabelle Tate from Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a rare non-communicable disease. It describes the disease’s effects, such as “lifelong, progressive symptoms, including muscle weakness and atrophy,” directly addressing health issues and the impact of diseases on well-being.
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SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
The article touches upon the inclusion of persons with disabilities. It notes that the disease “confined her to a wheelchair” and that she “never once making excuses for the fact that she might have a disability relative to others.” Her success in booking a major acting role as a person with a disability highlights the theme of social and economic inclusion.
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SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
The article explicitly mentions a call to action for partnership and resource mobilization. The family and talent agency direct the public to donate to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA), stating, “the family asks that donations in Izzy’s memory be made.” This represents a civil society partnership aimed at funding research and support for a specific health goal.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
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Target 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases
The article discusses the death of a 23-year-old from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a non-communicable disease. This directly relates to the goal of reducing premature mortality from such diseases. The call for donations to the CMTA implies a need for better treatment and support to prevent such outcomes.
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Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… disability
Isabelle Tate, a person with a significant disability that confined her to a wheelchair, successfully pursued a career as an “aspiring actress” and booked a role on a major TV series, “9-1-1: Nashville.” This is a direct example of the social and economic inclusion of a person with a disability.
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Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships
The request for donations to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) is a clear example of mobilizing the public to support a civil society organization. This partnership aims to channel financial resources towards addressing the challenges of CMT disease, aligning with the goal of using partnerships to achieve sustainable development objectives.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
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Implied Indicator for Target 3.4
The article’s focus on a death from a specific rare, non-communicable disease serves as a qualitative indicator of mortality rates associated with such conditions. While not a statistic, the story highlights the human impact, which is what quantitative indicators like Indicator 3.4.1 (Mortality rate attributed to… non-communicable diseases) aim to measure.
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Implied Indicator for Target 10.2
The article provides an anecdotal measure of inclusion by describing how Isabelle Tate, a person with a disability, was able to participate in the economy and cultural life by securing a major acting role. This reflects the principle behind Indicator 10.2.1 (Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, by… persons with disabilities), which measures economic inclusion, by showing a positive example of professional participation.
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Implied Indicator for Target 17.17
The call to action for donations to the CMTA is a direct reference to the mechanism for funding civil society partnerships. This can be seen as a qualitative example related to Indicator 17.17.1 (Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships). The article itself acts as a tool to generate these financial commitments from the public.
4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators (Implied from the article) |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. | The article’s report on a death from a rare non-communicable disease (CMT) serves as a qualitative example of the mortality that Indicator 3.4.1 seeks to measure. |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. | The success of an actress with a disability (“confined her to a wheelchair”) in securing a major role provides an anecdotal measure of social and economic inclusion for persons with disabilities. |
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. | The call for donations to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) is a direct example of mobilizing financial resources through a civil society partnership, reflecting the activity measured by Indicator 17.17.1. |
Source: nypost.com
