While some may find it hard to believe, this couple has time and again shown the world that true love can exist even for interabled couples. After four years of dating, they are now husband and wife.
Internet sensations Shane Burcaw and Hannah Aylward have tied the knot last September 4. Due to the pandemic, the couple opted for a simple, intimate backyard ceremony. "This was not the wedding we expect to be having by any means," they wrote on their YouTube channel post, "but both of us are beyond thrilled to finally be husband and wife."
A last-minute decision
Speaking to People, the couple said that getting married was a last-minute decision. Their loved ones, including Shanes' cousin who officiated the ceremony, joined them via Zoom. Then they only ordered Italian and enjoyed a takeout dinner.
Shane said it was a very "pandemic-type wedding," so nothing flashy. They do plan to have a celebration with the family next year. As for her wedding dress, Hannah wore her mother's while their rings were custom-made using the gold wedding rings of Hannah's grandparents. And that made it feel really special, she said.
Shrugging off accusations
Theirs is a really inspiring story of love conquering the odds. Yet, despite them already being married, there are still those who doubt the genuineness of their relationship. Hannah said that they would still receive comments like their relationship is a fake; it is only for publicity, and that she is only using him.
Hannah is a beautiful, tall, blond woman with a matching athletic body. Shane, on the other hand, has spinal muscular atrophy - a genetic disorder characterized by wasting in muscles. His face looks like an average adult but he has the body size of a middle schooler.
People would often mistake him as a kid and Hannah as his nurse or mom. Shane, however, is a successful vlogger, public speaker, non-profit organization co-founder, and author of three books, Star Tribune noted.
How it all started
Hannah first saw Shane back in 2016 through a short documentary about his life. She was then a student at Carleton College. She found Shane a very interesting person and loved his sense of humor enough to look up his blog. She then emailed him and even told him that she finds him cute. And the rest, as they say, is history.
When they moved in together, Hannah became Shane's primary caregiver. But the couple is quick to say that it is not a burden to them. Speaking to Star Tribune, Hannah said that helping him with activities like bathing or eating is just another way for them to hang out. Shane said that some people would comment he is holding Hannah's life back, which is not the case. Hannah enjoys a healthy social life, he said.
The couple said that they want to have kids, but as to when that will happen, they are still "going back and forth" - one week they would think they are ready then the next week, they think they are not.
View this post on InstagramWe’ve gotten lots of requests for close up photos of our wedding rings, so here they are! My favorite thing about them is that they’re made from my grandparents’ wedding bands. Knowing that they’re created from that gold makes them even more meaningful! We had them custom made by @newgild, a wonderful shop here in Minneapolis. We highly recommend them to anyone around here who’s looking to get custom jewelry made! #accessibility [image description: Photo 1: Hannah’s wedding bouquet with a pink flower and a cream flower visible lays on the dark gray cement ground with two ring boxes in front of it. On the left is Shane’s ring, a gold band. On the right is Hannah’s ring. Photo 2: A close up of Hannah’s wedding ring. Her engagement ring is in the center, and the wedding band is symmetrical on both sides. It has small diamonds along the band, which become larger as they get closer to the center. There are four oval diamonds on each corner around the engagement ring.] A post shared by Hannah Burcaw (@hannahayl) on Sep 13, 2020 at 11:30am PDT
Shane said that they wanted to show people that they are as normal as everybody else, and disability does not inhibit their lives. It is easy for them to ignore mean comments, they said, because at the end of the day, "It is just about us."
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