A Pella High School senior is thankful to those trying to keep others safe, as she comes from a family of medical professionals. Tirzah Wittenberg says many in her family work in hospitals and clinics, including her father Dr. Craig Wittenberg, the Chief Medical Officer at Pella Regional Health Center, all of whom could be impacted directly by COVID-19 while fighting it.

“The majority of my family works in the medical field, and there’s a lot of exposure,” she says. “Even from the beginning, I would hear from my family members about how serious it is and how people in the beginning weren’t taking it seriously, and what could actually happen.”

“For sure, I’m very aware of what could happen and I very much appreciate people staying home because I know the damage it could cause to health care families.”

In the fall, Tirzah plans to attend Northwestern College to study nursing and minor in psychology.