As a child living in Yokohama, Japan, Michiko Eager dreamed of one day living in America and illustrating children's books. Michiko was new to our Marblehead community when she was introduced to the volunteers at the Penny Bear Company. Her life's goals and natural artistic talents perfectly complemented our need to illustrate the projects we were creating as volunteer outreach opportunities.

Working in long-distance partnerships with staff members from the Double "H" Ranch summer camp in Lake Luzerne, New York, Camp Sunshine in South Casco, Maine, and Camp MerryTimes in Hendersonville, North Carolina…and locally with NANCamp in our hometown of Marblehead…Michiko illustrated personal journals for use by several hundred critically ill campers at each location. Her illustrations captured the fun and excitement of summer camp, while writing in the journals helped campers and their families recreate in their own words those magical moments when illness took a temporary back seat, and laughter became the best possible medicine.