Each year, proceeds of Style's Best of the Lehigh Valley event benefit Laughing At My Nightmare, a local nonprofit with the mission to spread positivity and provide equipment grants to those living with muscular dystrophy. We recently caught up with founder (and Bethlehem native) Shane Burcaw—read on to hear what he's been up to.
Since we last spoke, you've moved to Minneapolis! Tell us about that transition and what sparked the transfer.
I did! My girlfriend, Hannah, lives and attends college in Minnesota, so the first two years of our relationship were long-distance. We made it work with visits and daily FaceTime calls, but at a certain point, the desire to be together became overwhelming and we decided to make the big change by moving in together. Hannah is a beautiful human being, inside and out, and I'm continually amazed that I was lucky enough to find her in this huge world.
The transition was surprisingly smooth! Saying goodbye to my family and the Lehigh Valley was difficult, but this new chapter is an exciting one for me. I'm fortunate in that most of my work as a writer and nonprofit manager can be conducted remotely via the internet. Sarah Yunusov and I FaceTime each day to go over our daily assignments and upcoming responsibilities at Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc. We like to joke that we now have East Coast and Midwest offices.
Your children's book Not So Different has received rave reviews this past year, specifically topping The Wall Street Journal's list of most refreshing reads. Tell us what that success has been like.
It has been incredibly cool to watch Not So Different gain attention on a national scale. My biggest goal for this book was to teach children that everyone is different, and to encourage them to embrace those differences and create a more accepting environment for people of all abilities. Seeing my book being used by libraries and classrooms to teach kids about disability makes me so happy! I hope my work creates a small difference in the understanding and perception of disability, so I'm thrilled that people are enjoying it and sharing it with others.
You turned 26 in May and dedicated your birthday to raising money for LAMN. What was the grand total? Does people's generosity ever surprise you?
We broke $3,000 with the fundraiser, and our goal was only $500! Sarah and I both had birthdays in May, so we asked our friends, family, and supporters to make a donation to LAMN in lieu of birthday gifts. We were astonished that the fundraiser did so well, and once again blown away by the generosity of our community. As the leaders of this charity, it's our mission to raise funds so that we can continue providing vital equipment and technology to people living with muscular dystrophy. Ever dollar donated to LAMN helps change lives, so it truly means the world to us when people help us with charitable contributions!
You recently celebrated two years with your girlfriend, Hannah, and you post a lot about the misperceptions of your relationship. You blogged that your next book will be titled: “Strangers Assume My Girlfriend is My Nurse.” Tell us about that frustration; is it something you're able to “laugh” off in true LAMN fashion?
People are often surprised to learn that I'm involved in a romantic relationship. The public perception of disability is such that many people are more likely to assume the beautiful woman sitting with me in a restaurant is a caregiver or a family member, rather than my significant other, and you'd be amazed how often complete strangers come up to us and say things like, “Oh, are you his nurse?” It's bizarre! My next book, which will be out early next year, examines this tendency, as well as many other deeply inaccurate perceptions of disability.
My method for dealing with these frustrating misperceptions is humor, so I do try my best to laugh off these situations. Some of my favorite moments with Hannah arose when people made assumptions about us, like when my own doctor questioned if she was my mother. Yikes.
What was the most exciting stride for LAMN this past year? What are your goals for 2018?
Two really amazing things are happening this year. First, we are donating a brand new, wheelchair-accessible minivan to someone living with muscular dystrophy! This is the largest grant we've ever provided, and it's going to change a person's life in an incredible way. We could not have achieved this massive success without the ongoing support of our community!
In addition to that awesomeness, we've also launched a new “Virtual Visit” package in conjunction with my children's book. I've been joining dozens of classrooms across the country via webcam to speak with kids about the themes in my book, like kindness, respect, and embracing differences. If you are a teacher and would like to add these lessons to your curriculum next year, there's lots of info on laughingatmynightmare.com about how you can make that happen! I'd love to meet your students!
Despite no longer living in the Valley, what is your connection to the region?
The Lehigh Valley will always hold a special place in my heart. The people and places in the Valley made me the person I am today! I'll be back to visit, mostly to get my Mitzi's fix, but also for Laughing At My Nightmare events and to see my family and friends.
