Relationships3 min(s) read
Shane Burcaw and Hannah Aylward have built a large online audience by sharing the realities of their daily lives. Shane lives with a severe muscle-wasting disease and relies on a wheelchair, while Hannah is non-disabled. After years of dating, the couple married in September 2020.
Through their YouTube channel, Squirmy and Grubs, and their weekly podcast, Junkyard Mayhem, they actively address public curiosity and challenge societal misconceptions regarding disability, love, and intimacy.
On Tuesday, September 8, the couple took to Instagram to reveal they are expecting their first child and shared their ultrasound pictures with their 1 million followers.
In the image, the pair smile at the camera, with Hannah holding the ultrasound snaps. They captioned the post: "We are beyond ecstatic to announce that we’re expecting our first child this coming January!"
They explained that Hannah is 20 weeks pregnant and noted that while they enjoyed keeping the news private for a time, they were excited to bring their followers into the journey. In their update, they outlined several key points for their audience:
1- We’re doing great and cannot wait to begin sharing our pregnancy journey with you starting… right now!
2- Shane is launching a brand new baby blog today because we want to be thoughtful and intentional about what and how we share our child with the world. See the BABY BLOG link in our bios for that! First post is live!
3- We wanted to use this moment for good, so we’re joining the #BabylistItForward movement to fulfill registry items for people in celebration! If you or a loved one has a Babylist registry, share it and we will be popping in to fill as many as we can!
4- After going through IVF unsuccessfully for many years, we understand all too well the difficulties that many people experience when trying to conceive, and how seeing announcements can feel. Our hearts go out to you."
The announcement comes after the pair spent years addressing public scrutiny regarding their relationship dynamics. Over time, they have received widespread trolling, with online critics frequently questioning their romantic connection and physical intimacy.
Shane noted that when they first launched their channel, they did not anticipate that people would question their love, stating, "And boy did they."
A widespread belief they often encounter is that disabled individuals do not engage in intimate relationships or experience romance. Shane noted, "We're seen as asexual beings," pointing out that people often view his ability to attract a partner as nonexistent.
Hannah shared that she has faced bizarre accusations online, including being called "a pedophile" simply for being in a relationship with Shane due to his physical size.
She explained, "It's just wild to me that people think that disabled people can't consent to intimacy and I think that kind of policing happens a lot more with mental disabilities but it also does happen with physical disabilities."
Shane, who authored the book Strangers Assume My Girlfriend is my Nurse, explained that these harmful assumptions stem from a basic lack of understanding, noting that society often fails to view disabled individuals as fully autonomous adults.
He remarked, "This is going to sound silly, but disabled people can have sex.
They can be amazing romantic partners. They can be really good at sex. We are just as sexual as our non-disabled counterparts."
Rather than viewing physical limitations as a hurdle, the couple views their situation as a strength that fosters deeper connection through trust and adaptation.
Shane explained, "I thoroughly believe that my disability makes our sex life better, and this is a topic that we don't want to give too many personal details but like, it has required more communication, more creativity to find ways that work well for us.
"And so without kind of that need to experiment differently we probably never would have arrived at those new ways of doing things that are great for us. Interabled relationships are just as full of passion and romance and love as any other."
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