about the book
At the age of 21, Shane Burcaw has never walked, has never crawled, and has been in a wheelchair since he was three years old. As a baby, he didn’t crawl around like the other babies. He hardly moved, content with whatever toy was placed in his hand—or even content just watching the other babies play. His daycare monitor was worried that there might be a problem, ultimately leading to Shane’s diagnosis—a life-threatening disease called spinal muscular atrophy.
Since he was born, Shane has relied on others for nearly every task needed to stay alive. His normal day begins to the sounds of his cats fighting. Deciding to get up, he calls his sleeping little brother from the other room. A moan and another call later, Andrew enters Shane’s room. He pulls Shane’s blankets off, rolls him over, dresses him, and asks him if he needs to pee. If the answer is no, Andrew lifts Shane to his wheelchair, sets Shane’s phone on his lap, and makes him coffee, leaving it on the edge of the dining room table for Shane to drink through a straw.
So, how has Shane ended up with hundreds of thousands of fans on his blog? How does he end up touring the country with his younger brother, two best friends, and a camera crew? With a sense of humor that he has always used to approach his problems, Shane tells the story of his first twenty-one years of life with spinal muscular atrophy.
about the author
Blogger Shane Burcaw of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, gained over 500,000 followers when he began sharing his life story online. With humor, intelligence, and honesty, he wanted to tell the story of living with spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that often takes its sufferers’ lives between the ages of 20 and 30.
Realizing how badly people needed his humor, he and his cousin started a company—Laughing at My Nightmare—to help with that need. Shane works as a blogger and motivational speaker and has changed many lives, demonstrating how laughter and humor can improve lives.
Shane graduated with an English degree from Moravian College, soon writing a bestselling memoir, Laughing at My Nightmare. He also enjoys running people over in his wheelchair, spending time with his brother and friends, and traveling.
Sources:
Author page: Tumblr
Guest article: The Morning Call
Meet Shane Burcaw: YouTube
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