Photo: Sane Burcaw (Laughing at My Nightmare/Tumblr)
Shane Burcaw wants you to laugh at his nightmare. No, we're not promoting sadism. Give the guy a chance to explain.
His blog, Laughing At My Nightmare! (extra points for the exclamation point) kicked off with a post titled "This Is Probably a Terrible Idea," which cut right to the chase: "I will most likely be dead before I turn 30. Even that estimate is a generous one. ... Look at that, you already know my deepest fear ... I don’t know how much longer I have to live. We’re practically dating."
Our collective new boyfriend (sharing is caring, folks) has been battling Spinal Muscular Atrophy his whole life, but in documenting the ups and downs of an unconventional youth, he's out to prove that sometimes humor can be our best defense. "My only goal from the very beginning was to make people laugh," he told Act, noting that he isn't aiming to "inspire," despite readers' inspired reactions. "I write stories about the crazy aspects of having a disability because they're funny and because I think people enjoy reading them."
Yes they do. In just four months, Laughing At My Nightmare! has collected some 15,000 Tumblr followers, fans across the social media landscape and at least one publisher interested in turning his blog into a book. A college sophomore journalism major, Shane somehow manages to juggle schoolwork, blogging and a growing fan base -- though he laughs off suggestions that they've reached groupie status.
"I really appreciate all of the messages I get that tell me how much my blog has meant to people. I wish I had the time to reply to every single message I get, but I would literally have to drop out of college to be able to do that. I've also gotten a few messages from girls offering to have my children, which always makes me laugh."
No groupies, Shane? Pshaw.
Keep an eye out for the purple wristbands he'll start selling through his blog in the next few weeks with half of the proceeds supporting Families of SMA. See the links below for more ways to join the laughter.
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Follow Shane
Show your support by reading his blog, Laughing at My Nightmare, and following him on Tumblr.
