YouTube stars Shane and Hannah Burcaw, known online as Squirmy and Grubs, are confronting assumptions about sex, disability and relationships. The couple says intimacy in an interabled marriage may not resemble familiar movie scenes, but it can still be romantic, satisfying and fulfilling.

Their message has gained fresh attention after they announced on Tuesday, 8 September, that they are expecting their first child. Shane and Hannah said the baby is expected to arrive in January.

The couple has documented its life online for several years, using social media to challenge the way people view disabilities and relationships. Their discussions have included candid responses to public curiosity about how intimacy works within their marriage.

Shane is wheelchair bound and was born with a severe muscle wasting disease known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2. Hannah is able bodied, a difference that has prompted questions and assumptions about their sex life.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2 is described as a rare genetic condition that becomes worse over time. There is no cure, although medicines and treatments can help manage its symptoms.

In 2024, Shane told Business Insider that some people appear to believe that “people with disabilities don't have physical desires.” He rejected that idea while explaining that his disability does not erase his sexuality.

“I'm sexual, just like most able-bodied men,” Shane said. “Sex for us doesn't look the way it does in every romance film. But that doesn't make it any less worthy, satisfying, or fulfilling.”

Shane also said Hannah’s caregiving has helped the couple build communication and intimacy over the years. Rather than presenting caregiving and romance as incompatible, the couple has described communication as an important part of their connection.

They addressed the subject in more detail in a YouTube video uploaded in 2020. Although they did not spell out the private details of their sex life, they explained why silence around disabled intimacy can feed damaging assumptions.

Hannah said their decision to keep those details private has led some viewers to conclude that intimacy does not exist in their relationship. She directly challenged the broader stereotype behind that conclusion.

“And that's a really damaging stereotype for all disabled people, when you assume that disabled people aren't sexually active,” Hannah said. Her comments framed the issue as larger than curiosity about one married couple.

Shane added: “Obviously our intimacy doesn't always look like the cookie cutter image of intimacy, but we find ways that work for us.” His explanation emphasized that intimacy does not have to follow one conventional image to be meaningful.

The pair said verbal communication plays a major role in their sex life and has benefited them in the bedroom. Hannah explained that they are honest with one another, say what they want and then work out how to achieve it.

Shane contrasted that openness with complaints from people who do not feel comfortable expressing their desires to a partner. He said that discomfort is not an issue between him and Hannah.

Their approach reflects the broader point they have repeatedly made through their online presence. A relationship involving disability can include desire, romance and fulfillment, even when the physical details differ from what audiences typically see in films.

The couple’s pregnancy announcement also acknowledged the difficulty many people experience while trying to conceive. Shane and Hannah said they had undergone IVF unsuccessfully for many years before sharing news that they are preparing to welcome their first child.

“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,” they wrote.

For Squirmy and Grubs, speaking openly does not mean surrendering every private detail. Instead, their public comments challenge the assumption that disability excludes sexuality while showing how honest communication has strengthened intimacy within their marriage.

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