Industrial engineer Francisco “Kiko” Trujillo, a native of Nogales, Sonora, has turned a chance request from a Tucson pediatrician into a lifelong mission to serve people with disabilities along the U.S.–Mexico border. In 2008 Dr. Burris “Duke” Duncan, a pediatrician who treats children with disabilities in Tucson, Arizona, reached out for a partner who could help provide all‑terrain wheelchairs to families who could not otherwise afford them. Trujillo, then known for his work improving safety standards in impoverished Mexican communities, agreed to a seven‑year collaboration.
From Personal Experience to Community Action
Trujillo’s commitment is rooted in family. His older brother was born with a congenital condition that left him without a left hand. While his brother succeeded despite the disability, Trujillo believes early intervention could have eased the struggle. “When it comes to prosthetics and orthotics, none of the health programs in Mexico provide these devices,” he said, noting the many people he sees on the streets using crutches or missing limbs.
Founding ARSOBO
Combining Duncan’s medical expertise with Trujillo’s local connections, the pair founded the nonprofit Arizona Sonora Border Projects for Inclusion (ARSOBO). The organization supplies wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, hearing devices and rehabilitation services to low‑income families in both Mexico and the United States. Their first product was the “Rough Rider” wheelchair, designed by an inventor with paraplegia. Its wide, flexible front wheels allow it to traverse uneven terrain common in rural border areas.
As demand grew, ARSOBO began fabricating custom‑made wheelchairs for children with cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular conditions, ensuring the devices accommodate growth and maintain proper posture. The nonprofit also employs individuals with the same disabilities as the devices they produce, fostering empathy and giving meaningful work to those they serve.
Expanding Services and Impact
ARSOBO partners with manufacturers to offset material costs and collaborates with universities to bring doctors, students and researchers across the border for training and service delivery. Since 2016, the group has hosted monthly hearing clinics staffed by faculty from the University of Arizona’s Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Department. In 2025 the organization moved into a larger facility, adding free physical‑therapy services to help amputees adjust to new prosthetics.
To date ARSOBO has served nearly 3,500 individuals. More than 20 people with disabilities have been trained and hired by the nonprofit. The group has constructed over 820 all‑terrain wheelchairs, fabricated 900 orthotics and prosthetics, and distributed more than 740 hearing aids. Patients contribute what they can, when they can, reinforcing the organization’s philosophy of empowerment and self‑sufficiency.
Looking Ahead
Now 93, Dr. Duncan acknowledges that Trujillo’s involvement has far exceeded the original seven‑year timeline. “It’s his life, and he gets so much enjoyment out of helping people reform their life and get on with their life,” Duncan said. Trujillo echoes that sentiment, emphasizing the broader impact on families and entire communities.
ARSOBO continues to seek volunteers, donors and partners willing to support its mission of providing mobility, hearing and rehabilitation solutions to those who need them most on both sides of the border.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
