A dozen North Texas pool professionals installed a free ADA-compliant pool lift at the Flower Mound home of 19-year-old Bridger Larson.

Bridger has used a wheelchair since birth. The lift, installed Friday, Sept. 11, gives him independent access to his family's backyard pool for the first time. The project was organized by the Mid-Cities Region 12 Chapter of the Independent Pool Spa Service Association (IPSSA) and led by Casey and Stephanie Gardner of Flower Mound-based No Worries Pool Care, the Cross Timbers Gazette first reported.

Bridger, a super senior at Flower Mound High School, has congenital disorder of glycosylation, an ultra-rare genetic condition that affects how the body processes sugars at the cellular level. There is no known cure, according to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He has global disabilities, including seizures.

His mother, Cynthia Larson, told the Gazette she had no idea the pool company even knew about Bridger's condition.

"I didn't even know they knew I had a boy in a wheelchair," she said. "It just shows how completely observant they are. We're kind of invisible. We kind of keep to ourselves."

No Worries Pool Care had serviced the Larsons' pool for several years before Casey Gardner learned about Bridger's challenges after the family retrofitted its home. Gardner, the chapter's secretary and past president, proposed the lift as a community outreach project. The group agreed quickly.

Brant Rydberg of Global Pool Products arranged for the equipment at a reduced price. Planning began in July, and 12 professionals showed up on installation day, according to Stephanie Gardner, the chapter's longtime president.

The crew included Doug Holcomb of Pool Care Specialists, Doug Taylor of Swim Eco-Smart, Benjamin Goforth of Goforth Pools, Cesar Ibarra of Protégé Pools, Craig Williams of Clearly Perfect, Barry Luckie of A+ Pools, Tony Sandoval of Clarity Pool Solutions, Tristan Taylor of Mr. Right Pool Service, Mike Bomalick of B and B Pools and Tom Coker of Tom Coker Pool Corporation.

The Larson family moved to Texas from Washington, D.C., seven years ago. Bridger is the second-youngest of five children, ages 17 to 24. Beyond making it easier for him to get into the water, the lift means his younger sister can now help him into the pool on her own.

In a text message to Casey Gardner, Cynthia said the project improved Bridger's quality of life and brought relief to the family's tired bodies at just the right moment. She said watching the crew work had changed her children, calling it a beautiful and quiet display of humanity that she believed would have a lasting impact on all of them.

His mother said the pool is one of the few places where Bridger's body cooperates. In the water, he can feel weightless, move his legs and walk.

The IPSSA Mid-Cities Region 12 Chapter previously helped build the Swimming Fishies Swim School in Argyle. The group's next fundraiser, an annual art auction benefiting swimming education, is scheduled for November at the Sports Garden in Coppell.