Secretary of State John Kerry Emerges From Hospital on Crutches

Kerry broke his femur in a cycling accident outside Geneva on May 31.

ByABC News
June 12, 2015, 6:00 PM
Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to media as he is discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital, June 12, 2015, in Boston.
Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to media as he is discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital, June 12, 2015, in Boston.
AP Photo

— -- Secretary of State John Kerry emerged from the Massachusetts General Hospital today walking on crutches, remarking that it was great to finally get outdoors in the summertime.

He’d been there for over a week recovering from surgery to set a femur that he broke in a cycling accident outside Geneva on May 31.

He thanked his medical workers in Switzerland and in Boston for their efforts and even thanked his fellow foreign ministers for their well wishes.

“I’ll tell you ... when you’re feeling a little down, that’s nice,” Kerry said.

Kerry said he’ll be back in Washington next week after spending the weekend with his wife at his Boston home, not far from the hospital.

Kerry said his hospital stay has not stopped him from working and won't prevent him from travelling to Vienna to attempt to finalize a nuclear deal with Iranian negotiators.

“I will be absolutely, fully and totally engaged in those talks," Kerry said. “I am now. I haven’t missed a tick.”

Kerry said he would travel to Vienna in the coming days to push the talks forward.

Kerry’s long-time orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Dennis Burke, released a statement this afternoon saying Kerry is “ambulating independently on crutches and working hard with physical therapy toward a full recovery, which we anticipate will occur in several months’ time.”

“I’ll be on these sticks for a little while,” Kerry said, referring to his crutches.