A Downers Grove family recently took a trip to Capitol Hill with hundreds of other families who all share the effects and emotions brought upon by childhood cancer and the urge to find money to fund a cure.

Bill and Megan Sweeney along with daughters Mikayla, 5, and Nora, 6 months, attended the Reach the Day event in Washington, D.C., June 22 through 24. The purpose was two-fold — gain a better understanding about the governmental process of developing and passing bills and encourage local representatives to get behind a bill that would provide more funding for childhood cancer research.

That bill, called the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008, passed through the House unanimously and now sits in the Senate where Bill Sweeney said action is expected next month.

Megan Sweeney said Mikayla was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor in September 2007 just days after her fifth birthday. This type of cancer is generally found in children younger than 5 years old, according to the National Cancer Institute.

“The government had been funding research for (Children’s Oncology Group) but each year they would have to go and lobby for appropriations from each government entity like the defense budget, energy and education budget ... but it’s not enough and they’ve been giving less and less each year and CureSearch tries to make up the difference,” Bill Sweeney said.

Megan Sweeney said the trip caused a mixture of emotions, both sad and encouraging. Ultimately, she said it was important that people directly affected by childhood cancer had a platform to address important issues.

“I think because it’s so new for us, our daughter was just diagnosed in September, I had that feeling like I can’t believe I’m here,” Megan Sweeney said. “I can’t believe I am one of these families because you never think it’s going to happen to you.”

Reach the Day was organized by CureSearch — a nonprofit childhood cancer foundation which helps provide funding for the COG. The group is composed of doctors and hospitals around the country that take part in childhood cancer research and clinical studies.

Mikayla, who is in early remission, had one of her kidneys removed and underwent radiation and chemotherapy at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

The Sweeneys said funding for the clinical studies is important because it will help doctors, cancer patients and their families have better knowledge not only about the disease but also the side effects of the drugs decades down the road.

Bill Sweeney said the families who gathered in Washington D.C. ran the gamut of the childhood cancer experience. Families who had lost their children to cancer were in attendance and adults who were fortunate enough to beat cancer.

The Sweeneys encourage those who want to get involved in supporting the bill to contact their local government representatives.