ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An auntie of an 8 year old said it all started when a teacher told him he had no potential.

That statement shocked Steph Madrid, the aunt of Jeremiah Barela.

“You’re not looking hard enough. You’re looking in all the wrong places. He’s already showing his potential just by being here. That’s potential enough. Everybody shows their potential in different ways in different forms and different styles,” Madrid said.

Jeremiah shook those words off but it stuck with her and his mom. Madrid then channeled that frustration into a song to show Jeremiah how far he can go.

“When he grows up, he’s going to be a super dad. And does magic tricks, wears a cap and a hat he steals the show… because he’s dino shark boy… shark boy shark bite.”

The song is out now but she also wants to write a book.

“He says he’s fine with it, and now he says she doesn’t even remember it but I do. And it hurts me and I don’t want him to ever feel like that. Ever,” Madrid said. “Every kid has potential and everyone should be looking beyond their means.”

Janessa, Jeremiah’s brother, agrees.

“He’s my little brother, and he sort of has a hard time standing up for himself. So I stick up for him because he’s my little brother and I’m his older sister,” Janessa said.

Madrid said she knows Jeremiah wasn’t the first, and unfortunately not the last, kid to hear that heartbreaking message from an adult.

“I wanted everyone to be involved in his inspiration. It’s not just him that its happening to its other children too. So if they can see how he can push forward and glow, even though someone was trying to hurt his feelings, then that’s all the better for him,” she said.

Madrid hopes the song and book will help them drown out the negative noise.

The book is scheduled for a late-August release. Aside from the song and book, they want to sell plush toys, hats, shirts and even a board game. It’s all to inspire other kids.