NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) -- Ten years ago, the holiday season was full of joy for Clayres Johnson and her husband. Their family consisted of a teenager, a two-year-old, and a one-year-old. On Christmas Eve, the then-29-year-old mother managed to relax and watch a holiday movie. Breast Cancer Awareness "I was watching A Christmas Story, and I felt a lump in my breast," said Johnson, a registered nurse. "And I knew based off the tons of times I've done it before; it didn't feel like a usual lump. I've had lumps in my breast before that I never had evaluated just because they were normal." Her primary care physician scheduled an ultrasound. "So, the ultrasound, that's the first thing you do because you're 29," she said. "And I didn't qualify for a [mammogram] at that point. Subsequent testing confirmed cancer. Her new year started with breast surgery and chemotherapy. Dr. Shannon Wilson, a Sentara radiologist, said cases in young women whose family members have breast cancer have changed screening protocols. "If a woman has a family of pre-menopausal breast cancer and a first-degree relative, particularly, that puts them at an elevated risk," Wilson said. "And these high-risk women should actually get their screening even earlier than age 40. So for those women, we recommend starting at age 30." NBC News reports estrogen-fueled breast cancer in women under 50 has increased by more than 15% in the past two decades. Early puberty appears to be a factor. Currently, Johnson speaks to her girls about breast cancer detection and, as a Sentara patient navigator, she helps women and their loved ones as they chart a course to good health. When asked to share advice to women who are being informed of her story, Johnson said to be proactive."A lot of times I think in life we sometimes are very reactive," Johnson said. "But by being proactive, 40% of women will feel their abnormality, and get treatment. That says a lot about being proactive. You can do modifiable things to decrease your chances of developing breast cancer."