2016 Charity Collection

Conquer Chiari Each year Zombie Pumpkins donates a portion of its profits to charity. The chosen organization for the 2016 Halloween season was Conquer Chiari (C&S Patient Education Foundation) - a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the experiences and outcomes of Chiari and syringomyelia patients through education, awareness, and research. Zombie Pumpkins members choosing the Monster V.I.P. plan will have a portion of their payment put towards this cause.

Chiari Malformation (Arnold-Chiari) - is a serious neurological disorder where the bottom part of the brain, the cerebellum, descends out of the skull and crowds the spinal cord, putting pressure on both the brain and spine. This can result in debilitating headaches, neck pain, weakness and numbness in the limbs, balance problems, visual disturbances, and a host of other symptoms. Despite afflicting approximately 1 in 1,000 people (300,000 people in the US), the lack of public awareness means that Chiari can often be misdiagnosed and left untreated.

Conquer Chiari's mission is to raise awareness among the general public and medical community, so that accurate diagnoses are made earlier and errors in treatment are reduced. By providing accurate, up-to-date, and easy to understand information, patients can take control of their health care and make intelligent, informed decisions. Through these programs of support and research, we can Conquer Chiari.

The following is the letter Zombie Pumpkins received after submitting our donation:

Dear Ryan,

Thank you for your generous gift to the C&S Patient Education Foundation. Your support is greatly appreciated.

With your help, we are able to deliver exciting programs, such as Chiari & Syringomyelia News and the Conquer Chiari website, and other education, awareness, and research efforts, which directly help improve the experiences and outcomes of Chiari and syringomyelia patients. By giving the gift of knowledge, you are enabling patients to take control of their healthcare and make informed, intelligent decisions.

Rick Labuda, Executive Director