HOLLY TWP, MI - It was supposed to be a hedgehog.

Or a female golden retriever.

But when 15-year-old Mason Forsythe began petting a five-month-old mixed-breed dog at a local pet store, the plan changed.

"We actually went to look at a different dog and I really liked him," said Forsythe.

Mindy Forsythe, Mason's mother, remembers her son telling her something that would change the Holly Township family's life.

"This is the one."

The story of a boy and his dog was recently featured on the popular The Dodo social media page, garnering more than 1 million views on YouTube.

After Mason had to carry the dog, Hedgie, to the family's car from PAWS Animal Rescue, the five-month-old pup was anxious and barking while hiding under a table upon arriving at the Forsythe home.

"He was really scared. We'd force him to love us," said Mason. "He slept in my bed the first night with me."

That's when their bond began.

"When Mason's not here, he'll come to me, but he's really hesitant of everybody else. He plays keep-a- away from them," Mindy said. "I think he thinks it's funny. He wags his tail and runs away but when Mason is home he'll jump right up on the couch with someone."

She said they were told by the rescue that Hedgie had been tied to a porch in Flint and "that's probably where he spent all of his time and whatever interaction he had with people probably wasn't terribly positive."

A few months into their new friendship, Mason began noticing Hedgie throwing up every meal and having an issue with dragging his back legs along the ground.

A visit to the veterinarian's office revealed Hedgie suffers from megaesophagus and myasthenia gravis.

Megaesophagus causes food and water to collect in the esophagus and leads to the animal regurgitating when it can no longer fit, with Mason describing it as a "deflated balloon."

"It was upsetting and it was confusing because I've never heard of it," said Mason.

The situation presented a learning opportunity for the family and their vet about the condition that would typically lead to euthanasia in the past.

"I remember (the vet) bringing in his little medical book and we were all reading, and he was like, 'Alright, this is what we're going to do," said Mindy.

The family also did their own research and found the Upright K-9 Bridge Facebook page where others with dogs suffering from the condition share information. That led to the purchase of a Bailey chair, which allows Hedgie to eat upright to ease his condition.

"It was comforting to find things that he could still get through it and live a normal life," Mason said. "It was comforting to hear."

They also gathered ideas on what they could feed Hedgie, including balls that include a mixture of hamburger, oats, gelatin, molasses, oil, cereal, raw eggs and shells for calcium, to help the dog put on weight.

Mason also uses small squeeze bottles to feed Hedgie baby food in small amounts and puts on a neck pillow when he sleeps to prevent him from choking on his saliva.

"It's a quality of life thing," said Mindy. "We had a lot of discussions and I talked to Mason about what quality of life is and what it means, that we would have tough decisions to make depending on how he responded to treatment."

Treatment included medication for the myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that leads to a breakdown of receptors from nerves to the muscles. The medication is meant to help increase those receptors.

With a number of things on his plate, including wrestling, choir, a girlfriend and being a teenager, Mindy said she's impressed at the way her son stepped forward.

"He's the sole caregiver," she said. "This is someone who listens to all his secrets and never judges and never tells and I'm pleased because there's a lot of other things my 15-year-old could be doing rather than working with his dog."

Mason also took to social media to try and spread awareness of Hedgie's conditions.

He started the Instagram page Hedgie The Hedgedog to help spread awareness of the medical conditions to others.

It was much to Mason's surprise when a producer from The Dodo reached out showing some interest in his story. After some hesitation at first, Mindy gave into Mason's interest after viewing some of the website's videos.

The Dodo describes itself as "a halo brand for everyone who loves animals from people who are obsessed with their pets all the way to committed animal advocates."

"We're a smaller account and I feel like they only reach out to these larger accounts with millions of followers," he said. "It was really cool to see they found out about the Instagram. I was really excited about it."

The video has caused Mason's Instagram following to swell, but it has also led to questions about how Hedgie eats, his quality of life and if his leg condition is painful.

"I think you should put them before your own needs and wants," said Mason of having a pet. "If euthanasia was the only option, I think I wouldn't keep him alive. If he was struggling, I don't think that's fair to him."

Despite the circumstances, Mason said, "I wouldn't really give up on a dog, especially him."

"I just like how attached we are to each other," he said. "He's always with me. I couldn't imagine him not being here."