Hannah Aylward is an American YouTuber, author, and disability advocate best known as one half of the channel Squirmy and Grubs.
She built her public profile alongside her husband, author and speaker Shane Burcaw, documenting their interabled marriage for millions of viewers.
Hannah Aylward Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Hannah Aylward Burcaw |
| Born | December 12, 1995, Minnesota |
| Age | 30 |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | YouTuber, Author, Disability Advocate |
| Known For | Squirmy and Grubs YouTube channel |
| Education | Carleton College (2019) |
| Spouse | Shane Burcaw |
| Net Worth | $3 million |
Who is Hannah Aylward?
Hannah Aylward is a content creator, author, and public speaker from Minnesota. She and her husband, Shane Burcaw, run Squirmy and Grubs, a YouTube channel that documents their interabled marriage.
The channel has grown into a platform for disability advocacy over the years.
Aylward and Burcaw have spoken at universities, companies, and conferences across the country about ableism and accessibility. Their appearances include events hosted by BraunAbility and the Abilities Expo.
Their work has drawn coverage from major outlets. The couple has appeared in The New York Times, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, and on WBUR’s radio program.
In early 2025, they published a book together on interabled relationships. The project marked Hannah’s debut as a co-author.
Aylward is a nondisabled former college athlete, while Shane lives with spinal muscular atrophy. Their channel turns that difference into a source of honest, often funny conversation about love and disability.
Early Life of Hannah Aylward
Hannah Aylward grew up in Minnesota, where her family still lives today. She was raised in the Minneapolis area in a close-knit household.
Her parents are George and Elizabeth Aylward. They later became coffee shop owners in the Minneapolis area.
Aylward is the youngest of three children. She spent her childhood in Minnesota and has stayed connected to the state throughout her adult life.
Sports played a central role in her upbringing. Aylward was a competitive swimmer growing up, and she carried that discipline into her college years.
She continued the sport at the college level, swimming on her university’s varsity team. That athletic background later became part of her public identity as a nondisabled partner in an interabled relationship.
Before her YouTube career took off, she worked ordinary jobs typical of a college student. Aylward held retail positions and also worked as a dog sitter and dog walker.
Hannah Aylward Age / Birthday
Hannah Aylward is 30 years old as of 2026, born on December 12, 1995. Her zodiac sign is Sagittarius, a sign often linked with curiosity, humor, and a love of travel.
Those traits line up with the road-trip roots of her YouTube channel.
Aylward launched her public career in her early twenties, while still a college student.
Hannah Aylward Ethnicity and Nationality
Hannah Aylward is American and holds United States nationality. She was born and raised in Minnesota.
Her ethnic background has been described as white, with some reports citing Polish heritage on her family’s side.
She grew up in a close-knit household in the Minneapolis area, where her extended family still lives today.
Hannah Aylward Height and Weight
Hannah Aylward appears regularly on camera, where her athletic build reflects her background as a competitive swimmer. Her exact height has not been confirmed through a reliable primary source.
Her current weight has also not been publicly confirmed.
As a former varsity swimmer, she has kept an active, sporty presence that often shows up in the channel’s travel and outdoor videos.
Hannah Aylward Education
Aylward attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. She studied sociology and anthropology during her time there.
She graduated from Carleton in 2019.
Aylward was a member of the Carleton College swim team while she studied. Her athletic commitment ran alongside her academic work throughout college.
Her senior year overlapped with the early growth of Squirmy and Grubs. The channel launched in June 2018, while she was still a student at Carleton.
Carleton has since featured her, alongside Shane, in its alumni news coverage. The college highlighted the couple’s New York Times feature and their book release in 2025.
Hannah Aylward Career
Hannah Aylward’s public career began with a shared decision to document her relationship with Shane Burcaw on YouTube. What started as a way to record a road trip turned into a long-running channel with millions of views.
Her work now spans video content, public speaking, and authorship.
The couple built their audience by combining everyday humor with honest conversations about disability. That mix became the signature style of Squirmy and Grubs.
Channel Launch (2018)
Aylward and Burcaw uploaded their first Squirmy and Grubs video on June 19, 2018. The clip featured a road trip from Minneapolis to Pennsylvania.
That early video set the template for the channel’s format. It mixed ordinary travel moments with an open look at Shane’s spinal muscular atrophy.
Later that year, they posted a travel vlog about Hannah helping Shane with daily care. The honest framing drew hundreds of thousands of views within months.
In December 2018, Chris Ulmer interviewed the couple for his show Special Books by Special Kids. The episode focused on their interabled love story.
Breakthrough and Growth (2019–2023)
Squirmy and Grubs grew steadily in the years that followed. By the mid-2020s, the channel had posted several hundred videos and passed 1.8 million subscribers.
One of their most viewed uploads drew more than 4 million views on its own. The channel has also been profiled by The Today Show, Insider, and Bloomberg.
In 2024, a lighthearted video showing Hannah pretending to “drop” Shane into a pool as an Olympic diving joke went viral. The clip spread far beyond their usual audience.
The same video also drew a wave of hateful comments. Shane addressed the reaction directly in a public post about the exhaustion of constantly educating people about disability.
By this stage, the couple ranked among Minnesota’s most-followed YouTubers. Their channel had become a recognized name in disability advocacy online.
Current Work (2024–Present)
Aylward and Burcaw relocated from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, citing a warmer climate that eases complications from Shane’s SMA. According to a 2025 Carleton feature, the couple still returns to Minnesota each May.
They share a Minneapolis home with Hannah’s parents during those visits.
In early 2025, the couple published their book on interabled love and disability. The release marked Hannah’s first project as a co-author, alongside Shane’s earlier works.
Shane and Hannah have continued speaking publicly through 2026. Their recent appearances include sessions at the Abilities Expo, where they present on interabled relationships and accessibility.
The pair also works with BraunAbility on disability inclusion and accessibility campaigns. In August, they spoke to an audience of around 200 people at a BraunAbility event in Carmel, Indiana.
Hannah Aylward Book and Advocacy Work
Hannah Aylward co-wrote her first book with Shane Burcaw, published in early 2025. The title is Interabled: True Stories About Love and Disability from Squirmy & Grubs and Other Interabled Couples.
The book came out through Roaring Brook Press in January 2025.
It compiles stories from nearly two dozen interabled couples, alongside the Burcaws’ own experiences. The couples featured span a range of ages, backgrounds, and identities.
Interspersed sections cover events in Shane and Hannah’s own relationship. These include their early courtship, travel misadventures, and their IVF experiences.
The book earned coverage from Kirkus Reviews and a radio feature on WBUR’s Here and Now. Critics highlighted its candid focus on topics rarely discussed in mainstream relationship books.
Beyond the book, Aylward’s advocacy centers on challenging assumptions about disability and relationships. She uses the channel and live events to push back against ableism directly.
Hannah Aylward Channel Stats and Achievements
Squirmy and Grubs has grown from a small travel-vlog channel into one of Minnesota’s most-followed YouTube accounts. The channel ranks among the top three most popular YouTube channels based in the state.
By the mid-2020s, it had passed 1.8 million subscribers.
The channel’s reach has brought the couple into national media. Features have appeared in The New York Times, Bloomberg, Insider, and The Today Show.
Their most popular videos have each drawn millions of views. One upload about Shane’s changing life expectancy passed 4 million views on its own.
- First Squirmy and Grubs video posted June 19, 2018
- More than 1.8 million YouTube subscribers by the mid-2020s
- Featured in The New York Times (2025)
- Co-authored the book Interabled (2025)
Hannah Aylward Brand Deals and Collaborations
Hannah Aylward and Shane Burcaw work with brands and organizations focused on accessibility and disability inclusion. Their most visible partner is BraunAbility, a company that makes wheelchair-accessible vehicles and mobility products.
Through that partnership, the couple speaks at public events about disability inclusion.
They have also partnered with event organizers like the Abilities Expo, appearing as featured speakers at multiple shows. These collaborations place their advocacy in front of large live audiences.
Their media collaborations include interviews and features with national outlets. Each appearance extends their reach beyond the core YouTube audience.
The couple also generates income through merchandise and sponsored content tied to the channel. These ventures sit alongside their speaking and publishing work.
Hannah Aylward Husband
Hannah Aylward is married to Shane Burcaw, an author, speaker, and disability advocate. Shane lives with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness, and he uses a wheelchair.
The two began dating in 2016.
Aylward and Burcaw married in 2020. She later adopted the name Burcaw across much of her public and social media presence.
Their relationship forms the heart of the Squirmy and Grubs channel. Together, they document the daily realities of an interabled marriage, including Hannah’s role as Shane’s primary caregiver.
Shane founded the nonprofit Laughing At My Nightmare before the couple started their channel. He had also published several books on disability before their joint book arrived in 2025.
The couple has spoken openly about building a life together across two states. They split their time between Los Angeles and Minnesota, staying connected to Hannah’s family in Minneapolis.
Hannah Aylward Children
Hannah Aylward and Shane Burcaw do not have children as of 2026. The couple has spoken publicly about their IVF experiences, which they included in their 2025 book.
Their openness about fertility reflects the honest tone of their wider content.
The Burcaws have chosen to document personal topics that many couples keep private. That candor has become part of why their audience connects with them.
For now, the couple’s public focus remains on their creative work, advocacy, and extended family life across Los Angeles and Minnesota.
Hannah Aylward Net Worth
Hannah Aylward’s estimated net worth is $3 million as of 2026. Her income comes mainly from the Squirmy and Grubs YouTube channel, book royalties, and paid speaking engagements.
YouTube Income
The Squirmy and Grubs channel is the core of Aylward’s earnings. With more than 1.8 million subscribers and several videos passing millions of views, the channel generates steady ad revenue.
The couple also earns through sponsored content and merchandise tied to the channel. These streams add to the base YouTube income over time.
Books and Speaking
Aylward’s 2025 book added royalties and publicity to her income profile. The title reached national media coverage, which supports ongoing book sales.
Paid speaking engagements form another income stream. The couple appears at corporate events, conferences, and expos, often through partnerships like their work with BraunAbility.
Overall, Hannah Aylward’s income comes mainly from YouTube, with added earnings from publishing, speaking, and brand partnerships.
Hannah Aylward Social Media
Hannah Aylward is active across several platforms, most visibly on YouTube through the shared Squirmy and Grubs channel. The couple also maintains a strong presence on Instagram and TikTok.
Their main channel lives on YouTube.
Aylward shares personal updates and behind-the-scenes content on her own Instagram at @hannaharuns.
The couple also posts short-form clips on TikTok, where their videos reach younger audiences. Each platform extends the reach of their advocacy and everyday storytelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Hannah Aylward?
Hannah Aylward is 30 years old. She was born on December 12, 1995, in Minnesota.
Who is Hannah Aylward married to?
Aylward is married to Shane Burcaw, an author and disability advocate who lives with spinal muscular atrophy. The couple wed in 2020 after dating since 2016.
What is Hannah Aylward’s net worth?
Her estimated net worth is $3 million as of 2026, built mainly from YouTube, book royalties, and speaking engagements.
What is Squirmy and Grubs about?
Squirmy and Grubs is a YouTube channel where Hannah and Shane document their interabled marriage and advocate for disability inclusion.
Where did Hannah Aylward go to college?
She graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, in 2019 with a degree in sociology and anthropology.
Does Hannah Aylward have children?
No, Hannah and Shane do not have children as of 2026, though they have spoken openly about their IVF experiences.
Conclusion
Hannah Aylward turned a single road-trip video into one of Minnesota’s biggest YouTube channels, using Squirmy and Grubs to reshape how audiences think about disability and love. Her move into authorship with the 2025 book Interabled extended that work from the screen to the page, alongside her husband Shane Burcaw.
1 Comment
What is Hannah eye color? Thanks
South Dakota.