Hydrocephalus Stories
Celebrating triumphs in the face of adversity.
In honour of Didunloluwa Ajayi (2017- 2023)
stories You’ll Find Here
In this part of the world where fathers are sometimes seen a non-existent in the life of a child living with disability, …
On the 27th of October, 2023, a beautiful Friday morning, I woke up grateful and thankful to God for the privilege to …
Having a disability in certain parts of world like in Africa can be a living hell. Such has been the experience of …
Living with Hydrocephalus has been a challenging one. Most times I wake up with headaches and most times body pain. I did …
Acording to my mum, I was born on Tuesday 27th, April 1999 at a hospital in Lagos State. Immediately I came out …
Every October 6th is celebrated as World Cerebral Palsy Day. It’s a day to raise awareness about the condition and also to …
About Hydrocephalus Stories
It all began with the third child of a loving family who were told the child would have delays growing up and might not live a basic and decent life all because he had a condition known as Hydrocephalus (the build-up of excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain).
Against all odds, that child was able to grow and live a good life far from what the doctors had predicted. Today, he has a beaming career in the media industry as a sports writer and journalist. His name is Olakunle Fayiga.
For years, Kunle wanted to share the story about his life journey but was held back due to the negative perceptions in his mind about doing such. What would they think about him when he says he had brain surgery at four weeks old? What would they think about him when he says he has a tube-like device attached from the brain to the abdomen? What would they think about him when he says he had seizures growing up?
Everything changed for him in 2019 when he spoke with Mrs Modupe Ajayi, PhD, over the phone through one of his consultant neurosurgeons. This was a woman with a child that also had Hydrocephalus and was passionate about advocating and empowering mothers of children with similar conditions after the near-death experience her daughter Didunloluwa had to go through.
Sadly, Didunloluwa has passed on but Olakunle was able to see another side of humanity through her and this website is in her honour. Her mother’s passion for advocacy has not been undeterred either.
Kunle eventually wrote about his life story on his 31st birthday which has since been seen across Nigeria and the rest of the world. He has connected with mothers, parents and persons with Hydrocephalus and other neurological and non-neurological conditions in different Nigerian cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Osogbo, Benin City, Minna, Damaturu and Asaba. He has also connected with people in Zimbabwe, Uganda and the United Kingdom
People living with Hydrocephalus and other related conditions are in constant need of answers, in need of hope, in need of encouragement, in need of empathy, in need of love. This is why Hydrocephalus Stories is here: a platform where narratives are told about how people living with various medical conditions are thriving despite the negativity and setbacks prevalent in society.
It doesn’t come easy for many and this is where real-life experiences will be told so others can learn from and not give up on the continuous journey of making life meaningful even when there are so many hurdles in front.
Join in on this unique and amazing journey.