Victory Steps

At the age of five, Viktor Lakatos was learning to walk again. Two years earlier, a severe case of meningitis had nearly taken his life. He had to be resuscitated twice and complications from the illness led to the amputation of both his legs and nine of his fingers.

When I photographed Viktor, he was attending a kindergarten for children with disabilities, where teachers and specialists supported him as he learned to walk with prosthetic legs. His progress required patience, determination and countless hours of practice.

Victory Steps follows Viktor's everyday life, from rehabilitation and learning to walk to playing with other children and spending time with his family. Beyond the challenges he faces, the series is a portrait of a young boy discovering what he can do, finding his own ways of navigating the world and growing up on his own terms.