EDMONTON -- An Edmonton senior says the man who tried to kill her Saturday morning ended up saving her life moments later.

Dora Campbell, 72, was upstairs in her Westwood home when she heard her stepdaughter screaming at approximately 6 a.m.

When she got to the basement, she says her stepdaughter's ex-boyfriend was there, holding an axe.

"He said he was going to kill me and my daughter," Campbell told CTV News Edmonton. "She's bleeding and I was going to go upstairs, and he grabbed me from there and just threw me on the floor."

Campbell says she then began to pray for her survival, and for her attacker.

"I said my prayer for him at first," Campbell said. "I told him I prayed to God that I forgive him for what he’s doing and I said he’s probably not in the right mind."

Moments later, Campbell says the man went upstairs and said he would burn their house down.

According to Campbell, her stepdaughter smashed a window and escaped, but she couldn't get up.

And then, she says the attacker came back.

"He went out the back way and he ran back and said, 'Come on … put your arm around me.' … He put me outside the front stairs and he cried and hugged me," Campbell said.

She believes her prayer saved her life.

"I put tears in his eye."

However, Campbell is still afraid for her stepdaughter's safety.

"I hope I don’t see him again. I want someone to get him."

Edmonton police are searching for 33-year-old Jade Boskoyous to charge him with attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and arson. He is 5'9", has a medium build and dark hair.

Campbell has stitches, bruises and had surgery for a broken hip, but she's happy to be alive. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help he while she recovers.

"My son's going to have twins so I'm going to be a super grandma," Campbell said.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Weisberg