LOS ANGELES : Mother Who Gave Part of Lung to Son Leaves Hospital

A mother who joined forces with her ex-husband to donate portions of their lungs to their gravely ill son was released from the hospital Wednesday, a spokeswoman said.

Darlene Pinkerton, 40, left USC University Hospital about a week after she and Paul Hartup underwent operations to help their son Ty Hartup, 21, said hospital spokeswoman Beverly Strong.

“Ty is still in guarded condition but improving, which is normal after this kind of surgery,” she said, adding that he would remain hospitalized another two to three weeks. Paul Hartup, 44, was released Tuesday. All three are from San Diego.

Ty Hartup suffers from cystic fibrosis, an inherited disease that attacks the lungs and kills half its victims by age 30. Doctors said he would have died without the surgery.

It was the third double lung lobar transplant using lobes from parent donors, said Dr. Vaughn A. Starnes, who performed all three surgeries.

Ty’s parents divorced in 1976 and Ty remained with his mother, who was remarried two years later to San Diego attorney Tom Pinkerton. Ty’s father remarried 12 years ago.