Amy Brechon never dreamed she'd become the country's youngest breast cancer survivor.

"We did pray a lot," says the 13-year-old. "We had family and friends praying for us."

At the tender age of just 13, Amy discovered a suspicious lump in her breast. "It's like a huge lump that you've never felt before so…[I was] very scared," she says.

The pretty Chicago teen still remembers waiting a day before breaking the news to her mom. Inside she knew something was terribly wrong. With tears welling up in her eyes, Amy says, "When I did find it I thought it was breast cancer right away."

Kathy Brechon tried to reassure her daughter, despite the fact that both her mother and two sisters also had breast cancer. "She comes to me and says, 'I have a lump.' And I said, 'Okay honey, it's nothing.'"

The concerned mom tells INSIDE EDITION, "I thought they're all older, there's no way a 13-year-old girl could have that, so I didn't think anything."

Kathy consulted an expert, Amy's uncle, who happens to be the Director of Breast Cancer Research at the Loyola University Medical Center.

Dr. Lucio Miele tells INSIDE EDITION's Megan Alexander it is "extremely rare" for a 13-year-old to be diagnosed with breast cancer. "The vast majority of breast cancers occur in women after menopause."

An ultrasound revealed the harsh truth.

Turns out Amy had a rare and malignant tumor that appears in less than 1% of all breast cancers.

When the Brechons learned the results, they were shocked. Kathy says, "My knees went out." However, though she was frightened, Kathy says she pulled herself together and remained calm, knowing her daughter was watching her every move. 

The 8th grader underwent a lumpectomy. The surgery was successful.

"I think I'm more scared now," says Amy. "I'm starting to realize what happened more now, the older I get."

Amy is now eighteen and cancer-free, but Kathy has some advice for mothers of teenage girls everywhere. "You hate to frighten anyone, but I guess just to say you are never too young. Tell your teen daughters to monthly examine themselves and not to be too embarrassed to come to you. And act quickly."