Meet our 2025 Local CMNH Champion, Niko!
- Category: CMNH Local Champions
- Location: Salinas, CA
Salinas Valley Health Foundation is proud to announce our 2025 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) Local Champion, Nicholas “Niko” Celaya, a charming 12-year-old from Salinas. Niko will serve as an ambassador for Salinas Valley Health, helping to share the impact that local donations to our CMN Hospitals Program have for kids like him. Niko was selected for his enthusiasm and passion for giving back, and the courage he has demonstrated while dealing with medical challenges.
From very early in his young life, Niko faced multiple health conditions including asthma, dysphagia, and epilepsy, leading to frequent visits to Salinas Valley Health Medical Center’s Emergency Department and Pediatrics Unit. During his visits to the Medical Center, Niko and his family found more than medical care; they found support, compassion, and guidance from the care team, as they learned to navigate new and challenging conditions. Donations helped to provide pediatric comfort items, activities, and even a playroom on the Pediatrics Unit to help keep kids like Niko active and entertained during their hospital stay.
When he got older, Niko was able to attend the Mark Velcoff, MD Asthma Day Camp, a week-long summer camp staffed by medical professionals, and fully funded by donations made to our local CMN Hospitals Program. Through his participation in Asthma Day Camp, Niko gained knowledge about his medical condition, tools and tips to help manage his symptoms, and also met a community of peers who know firsthand what its like to live with asthma. Today, Niko’s medical conditions are well controlled, and he lives a full and active lifestyle. He is passionate about baseball and wants to be either a professional baseball player or a doctor when he grows up. 
Niko and his family look forward to sharing the impactful pediatric programs and services made possible by local donations. Whether you give at the register of one of our CMNH corporate partners like Panda Express, Ace Hardware, or Costco, or you participate in events like the gaming fundraiser Extra Life, all donations raised stay in our community, helping kids like Niko every day.
