In 2001 an Altus woman was beaten and left for dead in the trunk of her car. Despite the desires of her attacker, Alga Hitchcock survived. Now her story is going international through the Biography Channel's program, "I Survived."

Hitchcock's attacker, a part-time church janitor, had done some fence work for her in December. The man completed the work before the holiday, but came back to her house on Martin Luther King Junior's weekend to get lumber he'd left stacked up. He said he needed a hammer, and she went to get one for him. When she returned, he said, "I'm going to kill you. Give me all your money. Write a check for $500." She told him she may not have that much in the account so she wrote it for $125. He told her to get her jewelry, but she didn't have any valuable pieces. Then he beat her in the head with a pipe wrench four times. She really feels God spared her the severity of the blows, because she barely felt them. The man dragged her, bound hand and foot, through her house and put her inside the trunk of her car. She said she never became unconscious.

Usually concerned for the needs of others, Hitchcock, the Director of the Prayer Ministry at First Baptist Church of Altus, laid her petitions before her Lord. She searched the trunk for anything she could use to help keep herself warm. Wearing summer weight slacks and blouse, and having lost one shoe as she was dragged, she was very cold. Hitchcock found a single piece of 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper. She kept switching the location of the paper as she put it on her leg or side to maintain her body temperature.

Though she now realizes she might have been able to find the trunk release, she doesn't know how it would have played into the situation. After the attacker drove around quite a bit, he tried to put the car into an irrigation ditch near her house and the whole wheel miraculously came off. The car was immobilized within sight of her house.

Through the hours, the man kept returning to the car to see if Hitchcock was dead. Twice she held her breath to appear dead. The third time she tried to reason with him. He responded by slashing her right arm to the bone. He tried to stab her, and broke all of her fingers but two. The fourth time he returned, he slit her throat, cutting the jugular vein, but missed the muscles and her vocal cords. He twisted her neck until it popped and she went limp. He thought he'd killed her and slammed the trunk once more.

Despite the January temperatures, Alga Hitchcock, armed with prayer, survived some 22 hours, with an overnight temperature of 26 degrees, and into the next day. A non-insulin dependent diabetic, she was aware of the hours ticking away since her food and medications. That complicated her already delicate medical situation. She'd lost half of her body's blood supply. Her body temperature hovered at 93 degrees and her blood sugar had soared due to trauma.

Through the ordeal, she prayed for God to bless her family, her church and her community. She, at one point, asked Him why it had gone on so long. Then she recalled Genesis 50:20 where Joseph is spoke to his brothers: "You meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good..."

Hitchcock failed to show up at Sunday evening church and when she didn't come to work the next morning, her friends and family started searching for her. The Altus Police Department joined the search and an officer who found her car, heard her tapping on the trunk lid. She was rescued and underwent multiple surgeries. She testified against the man who left her for dead. He was found guilty and imprisoned at McAlester and later moved to Lexington. Hitchcock said he later died of a heart attack around Christmas 2008. An Altus Police officer came to tell her that he had passed away.

Hitchcock's story has already impacted the lives of many people all around the world, from Africa, Australia, Scotland, Japan, Germany and the Middle East. She has three big cartons of cards and letters from those whose hearts were touched by this event. One missionary recalled Hitchcock's survival as she and her husband were brutalized in Africa. Hitchcock said she has learned the value of life, the power of prayer and that her future is assured. She is not fearful, for she knows her destiny.

Though she did not seek this attention from Hollywood, they heard of her story and asked her to come to Burbank, Calif. for the taping of the 20-minute segment. Hitchcock declined as she has family and job committments. So the company sent a three-person team to Altus to film her. Hitchcock's story will be featured on "I Survived", on the Biography channel, Sunday, August 8. People who have Cable One service and have the "Value Pack" will be able to view this on Channel 322. The Biography web site is http://www.biography.com/isurvived/about.jsp. If you are unable to view the program on television, you may be able to see it at www.sidereel.com. Also, First Baptist Church of Altus will be hosting a showing on August 8. They will have a normal Sunday night service from 6 to 7 p.m. and a fellowship time with refreshments from 7 to 8 p.m. The broadcast begins at 8 p.m.