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Stories of Survival | Finding hope in the face of uncertainty

Central Texans continue to battle the winter weather.

TEMPLE, Texas — As the deep freeze begins to move out of Central Texas, there are some who are still fighting to get through the final remnants of a storm that hasn't loosened it's grip.

Lindsey Williams is one of those who is still reeling from the effects of the storm. Her power has been out since Valentine's Day.

"I had seven lambs born during that time and it's been really hard to keep them alive," she said.

Williams said since the moment they were born and after they bonded with their mother, the work to save the sheep has been non-stop.

"I immediately towel them off and then I have little sweaters that I put on them. We have the generator that we've been running to the heat lamp to help keep them warm," she said.

Kenneth Hilton, the owner and operator of Living Reed Aquatics, has lost everything he's worked his life to achieve after his power was lost on Sunday. Hilton said a backup battery that kicks on only lasted a short time before giving out. The result, the temperature dropped in his exotic tanks and killed everything inside them.

"They're just fish to some people but to people like us, that really love the hobby. It's just, it's just devastating," he said.

Hilton, who co-owns the company with his wife, said he's a hobbyist first and a businessman second. His love for the fish and coral he's lost will drive him to find a way to get his business thriving again.

"I eat, sleep and dream all of it," he said. "This business, it will survive, it will just be tough to get back."

Hilton said the goal is to open a store front someday, he said those dreams are now on hold in the interim.

"That's going to go on the back burner for at least a year or two for now because we have to build a customer base all over again," he said. "You just clean everything up and start over and just look forward to the future, that's all we can do. You know, don't give up."

As snow and ice still cover the grounds of the Williams farm in east Temple and the power remains oof, Williams promised to continue to keep alive her precious animals.

"The struggle for me has been making sure everybody has enough food and water," she said.

Through it all, the sleepless nights and the hundreds of trips through the snow and ice to check on the baby lambs, hope lingers on every branch and acre of the farm.

"We, we can survive anything. We've worked hard these last few days. It has probably been the hardest thing I have ever had to do but we've done a good job," Williams said. "The babies look awesome and I am really proud of that."

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