Injured South African photographer Joao Silva will try on his first pair of prosthetic legs in Washington on Monday, his friend and fellow photographer Greg Marinovich said on Thursday.
“They will fit them on to his legs to walk around with and that’s a very big psychological step for him,” he said.
Silva (44) is being treated at the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Washington.
Marinovich said his condition was stable and there were no life threatening problems. His wife Vivian was expected to fly to the United States on February 17.
Silva was covering the war in Afghanistan for the New York Times late last year when he was seriously wounded in a landmine blast. He lost both legs below the knee.
Although born in Lisbon, Portugal, the renowned news photographer lives in Johannesburg with his family.
In South Africa, he was associated with the “Bang-Bang Club”, the nickname of a group of four photographers who covered events in South Africa during apartheid.
The other three were Kevin Carter, Ken Oosterbroek and Marinovich.
Silva has worked in Africa, the Balkans, Central Asia, Russia, and the Middle East.
His images have won numerous awards. — Sapa