News — LOS ANGELES (April 17, 2025) --聽To mark National Volunteer Week, Cedars-Sinai is spotlighting two of the medical center鈥檚 youngest volunteers, who have a very special bond: They are identical twins.
Zoie and Midori Pungalan, 20, are both studying to become registered nurses, and they are supplementing their schoolwork with the hands-on experience they are earning as Cedars-Sinai volunteers.
The twins arrive at Cedars-Sinai when it鈥檚 still dark outside, waking at 3:30 a.m. at their Torrance home.
鈥淭hey give of themselves incredibly,鈥� said聽, Cedars-Sinai鈥檚 director of聽. 鈥淭hey come in for the morning shift at 5 a.m. They're getting up way before dawn and coming all the way here to serve the hospital.鈥�
The two work on separate nursing floors, helping nurses start their day by filling supplies, cleaning workstations and assisting with patient requests.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 even feel like a job or a duty,鈥� said Zoie Pungalan. 鈥淚t feels like a calling for us. It makes us feel good to be here every time.鈥�
Midori Pungalan said that when her alarm goes off before dawn, she reminds herself that someone at the hospital needs her. 鈥淭hey are here and they need our help,鈥� she said.
Zoie and Midori are members of a special program called 聽(TCAB), a program for those who are interested in careers in healthcare.
鈥淭he volunteers are placed on nursing units to be exposed to the work of nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals and see a wide variety of careers they can choose from,鈥� Prince said.
Both Pungalan twins have nursing mentors who encourage them on their journey to healthcare careers. And both say they are learning skills that will assist them in the future. For now, though, they particularly enjoy interacting with patients.
鈥淚 love going into patient rooms and asking how they are doing and if they need anything,鈥� Zoie said.
Said Midori: 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty sure it鈥檚 going to help me be more resilient and more attentive to patient needs.鈥�
Being identical, and dressed in the same volunteer uniform, poses some challenges for the two. They are often confused for one another and must frequently reintroduce themselves to staff members and patients.
鈥淚 make sure to say, 鈥業鈥檓 Midori, and I have a twin named Zoie,鈥欌�� Midori said. But the two are used to the mix-ups, and being identical makes them stand out.
The twins dream of earning their nursing degrees and coming back to Cedars-Sinai one day as nurses. And it could happen, Prince said.
鈥淭here are 1,200 Cedars-Sinai employees who were once volunteers,鈥� Prince said, 鈥渁nd perhaps Zoie and Midori will be among them one day.鈥�
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