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BackgroundMigration journeys profoundly affect women's and children's health, often producing layers of stress, trauma, and survival. Yet the experiences of mothers and children in transit remain underexplored, particularly through methods that allow them to narrate their own stories.ObjectivesThis study examines how migrant mothers and children in transit through northern Mexico use collaborative collage and storytelling to reflect on their lives and imagined futures, with attention to their health and wellbeing.DesignThis qualitative study employed an arts-based research design. Collaborative collage-making and narrative inquiry were used to explore how migrant families reflect on and represent their experiences.MethodsNineteen participants (nine mothers, ten children) residing in four migrant shelters engaged in arts-based sessions, creating collages and discussing their meanings. Data consisted of visual materials and audio-recorded conversations. NVivo software was used for coding and theme development during our reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsFour themes shape this study: (1) What Mothers Carry centers on the emotional, physical and invisible weight mothers hold as they protect, nurture and attempt to preserve parts of themselves; (2) Hardship Beyond Borders captures the exposure to violence, hunger, and uncertainty families endured across countries, borders, and bureaucracies; (3) northern Mexico as Liminal Space reflects its role as a place of both protection and discrimination; and (4) A Future Imagined and Fought For highlights how mothers and children envision stability, education, and the chance to serve others.ConclusionCollaborative collage created space for mothers and children to voice layered experiences of trauma, survival, and aspiration. These findings underscore the value of arts-based, participatory methods for illuminating women and children's health and wellbeing in migration contexts and highlight the need for trauma-informed, culturally responsive support for families in transit. Grounded in the Mexican transit context, these findings are primarily intended to inform organizations and institutions working directly with migrant families in transit in northern Mexico. At the same time, the study aims to increase awareness among policy, academic, and public audiences by centering the humanity and lived experiences of mothers and children in forced migration.