BOSTON —A Beverly man whose cancer is terminal was given the chance last week in his hospital room to say goodbye to his dog.

The photo of Mike Petrosino, 21, with his dog, Rusty, at Massachusetts General Hospital has gone viral since it was posted online by a friend.

“In April 2006, two months shy of his 14th birthday my son, Mike, was diagnosed with metastatic Ewing’s Sarcoma,” his mother, Paula Petrosino, writes on the fundraising page the family has set up to help with expenses.

Ewing’s Sarcoma is a rare cancer that attacks bones and soft tissue.

For a few years after his initial treatment, Mike Petrosino was cancer-free and able to attend school again, but in his senior year tests revealed he had a new cancer.

He has now been taken off all treatments and the family, while hopeful, says the cancer is terminal.

“Rusty was very emotional when Mike said his finale goodbye,” John Petrosino, Mike’s brother, said. “Every time I come home these past two days, he sits near Mike’s favorite couch and whines.”

Friends who have known Mike Petrosino since middle school were struck by his strength during the visit.

“I just got back from Mass. General and got to say goodbye with a bunch of old friends,” the friend said it a post on Reddit. “He’s the bravest guy I’ve ever met and all he did the entire day was (to) make sure everyone else was okay.”