People Laugh at Woman Married to Disabled Man, She Replies Saying She Won’t Change a Thing

When a woman married her disabled boyfriend, she shared her journey on YouTube, attracting trolls who laughed at her choice. They mocked the couple and passed derogatory comments, not knowing their mean words weren’t enough to break the woman.

It’s true when they say love knows no bounds, right? Falling in love is spontaneous. You don’t pick and choose while developing feelings for someone. Before you know it, you are already deeply in love with this person who seems to check all boxes in your mind.

However, when others look at two people dating each other, they pinpoint things they don’t like, especially if one of them has a disability. The couple in today’s story also heard mean comments from people when they talked about their love story on YouTube. Internet trolls attacked them, hoping their marriage would fall apart.

A SWEET BEGINNING

It all started when Hannah Aylward stumbled upon a documentary about a man named Shane Burcaw during her study break. She was preparing for her final exam when she discovered how Burcaw didn’t give up despite being in a wheelchair due to his medical condition; spinal muscular atrophy. Aylward said:

“His body was small and skinny, but his personality was larger than life.”

After watching his inspiring video, Aylward headed to his blog, “Laughing At My Nightmare.” She continued reading his write-ups for the next three hours until she wrote him an email confessing her feelings for his writing style and personality. That marked the beginning of Aylward and Burcaw’s unique love story.

INTERNET FRIENDS

Exchanging emails became a norm for the couple as they became close to each other. However, Aylward still wasn’t comfortable talking to him face-to-face. She had seen him in videos and chatted with him through emails, so talking to him on video call was a bit uncomfortable. Aylward recalled:

“I’m an introvert, but Shane is the opposite. He immediately put me at ease and we chatted for hours.”

When Aylward returned to her parents’ place, she told them about Burcaw. To her surprise, they were concerned about her talking to a stranger on the internet rather than his disability. Soon, her parents met Burcaw and liked him as much as she did.

TAKING THINGS FORWARD

Two weeks later, the couple confessed their love to each other and soon moved in together. Living together was a completely different experience, but Burcaw ensured his girlfriend didn’t get bored.

As days passed, Aylward learned how to care for Burcaw because he needed assistance most of the time. Soon, she understood his needs and had gained enough experience to start living with him as a married couple.

Many netizens often wondered if Aylward would be able to have children with Burcaw.

While Aylward and Burcaw spent time together, they devised the idea to document their journey on their YouTube channel so the world would know about their “interabled” relationship. At that point, the couple had no idea what they had signed up for. They weren’t ready to face the demeaning comments and hurtful questions.

A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP

“Many people have never seen a relationship like ours before, where one individual lives with a physical disability, and the other does not,” Burcaw said while talking about the things most people assumed when they saw him with Aylward. He revealed:

“You’d be shocked by how often strangers assume that Hannah is my nurse, my mom, my sister, or my babysitter.”

Many netizens often wondered if Aylward would be able to have children with Burcaw. When they read several comments about the same thing, they decided to educate everyone that they could have children without spinal muscle atrophy. They shared that they planned to have children in the future.

THE NEXT STEP

Apart from the negative and demeaning comments, the couple also got messages from similar couples. “We hear from interabled couples every day,” Burcaw said.

After being in a relationship for almost four years, Aylward and Burcaw decided to tie the knot. They were sure they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each other, but it seemed like people weren’t happy with the couple’s personal decision.

On September 4, 2020, Aylward donned her mother’s beautiful white wedding gown, while Burcaw wore a sleek formal suit, ready to tie the knot. They got married in an intimate ceremony and posted photos on their Instagram accounts. Little did they know that people would write rude comments under their posts.

THE NEGATIVITY

“I’m pretty sure that woman married him because of money and not for love,” wrote one user, while others doubted the couple was joking or the images they shared were fake.

Aylward confessed that people’s mean comments hurt her initially, but with time, she understood that they would always have something to say about her and Burcaw. She learned to dismiss their comments and live her life as she wanted. She said:

“Shane and I continue to make content and share our story with the hopes of showing as many people as we can that disabled people are worthy partners.”

NEVER-ENDING TROLLING

As Aylward assumed, the trolling never stopped. Two years later, people continue to post mean comments under the couple’s Instagram photos and YouTube videos. Still, they make sure not to take those comments too seriously.

The most asked question revolved around the couple getting intimate because it was hard to people to believe Aylward and Burcaw had a close bond. Aylward said:

“People say that I couldn’t possibly be satisfied, we get that every day.”

THEIR INTIMACY

“Our intimacy benefits from my disability, and our intimacy is not just me enjoying it,” Burcaw revealed. He said he had developed a secret language with his wife that helped them during their romantic moments.

The couple is comfortable living with each other, but people think otherwise. “I know that our life will continue to be hilarious and fun and full of adventure,” Burcaw said.

All his life, Burcaw felt like a burden when he was around other people, but with Aylward, things were different. She never made him feel that way.

Aylward and Burcaw’s adorable love story is an inspiration for people who receive mean comments about their partners from other people. Share this story with your friends and family who might need this dose of motivation.

Click here to read another story about a bride-to-be who prepared a dress for her wedding day but was forced to wear it to her fiancé’s funeral instead of walking down the aisle.

Anomama