That’s exactly the message, partnered with the theme of bravery, that former Marshall resident Daniel Bot shared with numerous classes at Park Side Elementary and Holy Reedemer on Monday with his new children’s picture book, “Levi Lifts Off.”

The project was inspired by Bot’s late stepson, and a tribute to children living with disabilities.

Bot’s stepson, Levi Alexander Bensen, died at 6 years old from Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN), a rare neurodegenerative disease that affects around one in a million children. Although being so young, the impact and legacy Levi left was immense, and his story through the characterization of a real-life superhero is one that Bot strives to share.

“My stepson, Levi, was just an amazing kid. He was one of millions of children with special needs,” Bot told the Independent.

A set of pages in Daniel Bot's new book, 'Levi Lifts Off,' showcases some of the super powers the character has.

He said that keeping Levi’s memory alive and doing anything he can to give back and honor special needs children was a large motivational factor for creating the book.

“Even being a 6-year-old who, towards the end to be honest, he couldn’t really move, he couldn’t talk, feed himself, anything like that, he was still able to make such a profound impact on my life and everyone who knew him. I just really, really wanted to tell that story.”

Detailed by Bot, the book portrays the message that heroism is based in resiliency, love and the ability to inspire others.

Bot said that he viewed Levi as his “bonus son” that changed his life forever, and that his mother, Katie, Bot’s wife, and father, Jeremy Bensen, are “amazing” and “resilient” parents. Bot also shows appreciation to the two in the book’s acknowledgements for sharing Levi with the world.

Monday was Bot’s first-ever set of class reads sharing Levi’s story, and spent the entire morning at Park Side before spending the afternoon at Holy Reedemer. “Levi Lifts Off” officially launched on Nov. 1.

A set of pages in Daniel Bot's new book, 'Levi Lifts Off,' represents a group of children with their superpowers uniting together.

Bot, a Southwest Minnesota State University 2004 graduate, attended Holy Redeemer and Marshall High School growing up, offering a full-circle opportunity of coming back to the region to spend time with students. He currently resides around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

“(I’m looking forward to) seeing the children’s faces, and hopefully making them smile and understand Levi’s story,” Bot said ahead of Monday. “I think that’s one way that we can really keep him alive, is telling his story to hundreds and hundreds of other children, so they can appreciate what he went through, and also appreciate all the gifts that they have.”

In his final class of the morning at Park Side, curiosity filled the room as Bot received plenty of questions from the students regarding Levi’s superpowers, being an author and the process of creating a book.

Using Levi’s story, Bot spoke to the class about what it means to be brave, not taking anything for granted, and the importance of knowing and carrying on one’s memory once they’ve used their “superpowers” to “lift up to the sky.”

“He (Levi) awoke to discover his greatest superhero powers yet. He sprouted big, powerful wings and lifted off up into the sky like only superheroes can do. Levi looked down, and he actually smiled, because he was proud of how much better he made the world in such a short amount of time,” Bot read to the class. “He was proud of how much better he made the world. He soared across forests, and prairies, and oceans, and deserts, and mountains … Levi’s superpowers are stronger than ever.”

In Bot’s book acknowledgements, he also wrote a thank-you to “the entire Superhero Army,” regarding to one of the final pages in his book of Levi surrounded by other children with superhero capes, “For sharing your wisdom and your precious, fleeting moments with us before lifting off to protect us from above.”

The class continued to show engagement toward the book and Bot, and shared a few stories of their own experiences with bravery.

“It (‘Levi Lifts Off’) gives you an appreciation for all the gifts that you have … If you do have any special needs, you are incredibly special, and you do have your own superpowers,” Bot said prior to Monday’s classes regarding the story’s message that will resonate with students and readers. “I’m going to talk about how there’s all sorts of different families that we live in, but also that every single child has superpowers of their own.”

Bot said he hopes to continue visiting schools, libraries and classes to share “Levi Lifts Off,” noting he’s happy to make a visit anywhere for an opportunity to read his book and share its message.

“The book is really designed for all age levels and grade levels, I would say. It’s really understandable for kids all the way down to kindergartners, yet the message is in there,” Bot said.

Bot also shared appreciation to his illustrator, Mae Elizabeth Acuña, who brought his words to fruition with carefully and meaningfully-designed drawings.

“Every single word in that book is just very intentional … It took me many months to find the perfect illustrator for it. I vetted a lot of different potential options, but wanted to land on that exact perfect one that really could bring the story to life, exactly the same way that it was in my head,” Bot said. “I think Mae really did that. The art style, the images absolutely look like Levi. You can almost feel Levi within that book.”

Expressing his hopes to make a difference with his book and help “eradicate childhood disease,” Bot is donating all the proceeds from “Levi Lifts Off” to support the Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA) Disorders Association and Make-A-Wish Foundation. The book is available for purchase at Levi Lifts Off | Begin Again Books.

“Every single kid has a superpower,” Bot said. “It may not be necessarily running and jumping or playing sports, but things like knowing a ton about dinosaurs, or having a lot of Pokemon cards, or being able to wiggle your toes or anything. That can be a superpower.”