Hi, I’m Wali Muhammad Khubaib, the CEO and Co-founder of DABBS Solutions and a faculty member at SZABIST. My journey with hydrocephalus began when I was just 8 months old. It felt like a never-ending cycle for my parents, visiting the hospital every year or two until my body finally accepted the shunt around age 3 or 4. Before that, shunt blockages were frequent.
After my 4th or 5th revision, I didn’t need surgery for the next 15 years. During this time, I had two shunts in my head because of an emergency surgery where doctors didn’t have time to remove the old one. For 15 years, I lived with both shunts and was unaware I even had hydrocephalus, as it didn’t affect my day-to-day life. But in 2015, I started getting chronic headaches, and everything changed.
In February 2015, those headaches became unbearable. At first, I didn’t even know I had hydrocephalus. I was vaguely aware of something implanted in my head, but it didn’t bother me. One night, I woke up with excruciating pain and had to wake my parents. My dad, sensing something serious, gave me medicine from my childhood. The headache eased, but it didn’t disappear. These episodes started happening during classes, making it difficult to focus.
In March, I collapsed at home. I was rushed to the hospital where I’d been treated since infancy. Though medication helped briefly, the headaches came back, and I returned to the hospital. The doctors discussed my surgery options with my dad. He got tense and sought a second opinion. Another hospital recommended a third shunt, but that could have been worse. Eventually, in March 2015, after multiple surgeries, including the removal of my two old shunts and the insertion of a new one, I was discharged.
The surgeries affected my academics. I missed mock exams and struggled in my CIEs, receiving a CDE. I only managed a C in math thanks to extra help from my teacher. Despite being devastated, I didn’t give up. I switched to Business, a subject I enjoyed, and worked hard. My grades improved, and though my math grade dropped, I focused on what I loved. Eventually, I graduated with a degree in Computer Science and launched my IT company, DABBS Solutions, in 2019 with friends.
Now, eight years since my last revision, I’m living life fully, even though I may need another surgery in the future. I’ve also been managing epilepsy since 2019, with six episodes, the last two occurring in November.
Life has its ups and downs, but I believe in staying strong, embracing the ride, and doing what I love.
Follow my journey on Instagram: @thetechyhydro.
