Shane and Hannah Burcaw, the interabled couple behind the social media channel Squirmy and Grubs, announced on September 8 that they are expecting their first child. The pair, who have long documented their life together on social media, said they initially kept the news private but “missed sharing the joy” with their followers.
The announcement comes after years of fertility struggles, including multiple unsuccessful rounds of IVF. In their Instagram post and a detailed video that has been viewed more than 700,000 times, the couple shared ultrasound images of their little one guarded by their pet dog, as well as a photograph of Hannah caressing her baby bump.
The September 8 Instagram Post
The couple revealed the pregnancy alongside a new baby-focused venture. They announced they are participating in a trend of fulfilling registry items for other expecting families and invited followers to drop their registry links in the comments.
They also launched a baby blog, which they said was created to “be thoughtful and intentional about how we share our child with the world.” The couple said they were doing well amid the major transition and were excited to take fans along for the ride.
Best wishes poured in quickly, with several fans calling the milestone the “perfect next step” in their love story. Others, however, wondered how the pregnancy was physically possible, despite the couple having openly discussed their intimate life over the years.
“Disabled people can have s**,” Shane once shared.
Hannah’s 2016 Email to Shane
Hannah was a freshman at Carleton College in 2016 when she saw a documentary about Shane, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder that damages nerve cells and leaves a person with limited mobility.
Impressed by his humor and his ability to embrace his shortcomings, she sent him a cold email. The two began dating and, after years of long-distance and then in-person romance, tied the knot in 2020.
In January 2025, they released their first book, Interabled: True Stories About Love and Disability, from Squirmy & Grubs and Other Interabled Couples.
IVF Struggles and Setbacks
People assumed at the time that Hannah was signing up for a life of childlessness and celibacy, but the pair were quick to denounce the idea.
“It’s far from true. We have a satisfying intimate life, and both of us are interested in having children together down the road,” they said.
Their hopes of starting a family, however, proved more difficult to realize than expected, leading them to IVF. That journey tested the pair deeply as they went through several rounds of unsuccessful treatments.
After losing hope because of the setbacks and taking a years-long break, the couple shared this past January that they were going to try having kids again, though they did not clarify whether they were pursuing IVF once more. That information was also missing from their announcement post.
Shane on Being Seen as “Asexual Beings”
Shane previously revealed that when launching their channel, he had no idea how much people would question his and Hannah’s intimate life. The questions, he said, made him realize they were viewed as “asexual beings,” to which Hannah questioned whether it stemmed from the misconception that his male parts did not work.
“Well, that,” he answered, continuing, “and they see my attraction, my ability to attract a partner as non-existent.”
“And that even if you did, it wouldn’t work,” Hannah added.
Shane responded to this in his book Strangers Assume My Girlfriend Is My Nurse, writing that disabled people can be “amazing romantic partners.”
“They can have amazing s,” he added. “We are just as sual as our non-disabled counterparts.”
Rather than viewing physical limitations as a hurdle, the couple sees them as a strength that fosters deeper connection through trust and adaptation.
Shane explained, “I thoroughly believe that my disability makes our s** 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.”
The 2019 Today Response on SMA
Some netizens claimed the child could inherit Shane’s disability, but he had addressed the concern years ago.
“I’m uneducated on his condition. Is it 100% preventable for the newborn?” one person asked, while another wrote, “Imposing the life of a wheelchair onto your children is unethical.”
“I understand their love, but I don’t fully understand their decision,” remarked a third.
Shane had denounced the worries in a 2019 profile for Today.
“Unless Hannah is also a carrier of the genetic traits that cause spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), our children will not have the disease,” he wrote.
The Baby Blog and Registry Initiative
The announcement video has drawn significant attention across platforms as fans follow the latest chapter in their story. The couple has not said whether they are pursuing IVF again, and they have not clarified further details about the pregnancy.
They have said they want to be thoughtful about how they share their child with the world.
The news marks a turning point for a couple whose relationship has been publicly examined since they first began posting. Their content has long addressed curiosities surrounding their intimate life, and they have consistently pushed back against the assumption that disability precludes romance or parenthood.
Key facts box:
– Pregnancy announced September 8 on Instagram
– Baby due at the beginning of next year
– Couple married in 2020
– First book, Interabled, released January 2025
– Announcement video viewed more than 700,000 times
– Shane lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
Timeline of the Couple’s Journey
- 2016 — Hannah sees a documentary about Shane and sends him a cold email while a freshman at Carleton College.
- 2020 — The couple marries after years of long-distance and in-person romance.
- January 2025 — They release their first book, Interabled.
- This past January — They share they are going to try having kids again after a years-long break.
- September 8 — They announce the pregnancy on Instagram.
The couple’s journey has been anything but straightforward, but they have faced each setback openly. Their willingness to discuss the difficult parts — the failed IVF rounds, the public skepticism, the invasive questions — has built a following that now celebrates with them.
For Shane and Hannah, the pregnancy is the answer to a long-held hope. They have said they missed sharing the joy with their followers, and now they have invited those followers along for the next stage.
Source: boredpanda.com
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