Dóris Hipólito has rolled up her sleeves in the slums of Rio for the glory of God to save lives from abortion. She has helped share the mission of 40 Days for Life in her actions and work.

In 1991, Dóris noticed her adolescent students were becoming pregnant and having abortions. She quickly started lectures about the right to life and induced abortion, and in other areas too. It is hoped that many students chose life as a result. She started pro-life work in the Baixada Fluminense, a low-income area that includes several cities, with 3.9 million inhabitants, in Rio de Janeiro state. Consequently, it was necessary to provide mothers with material and medical help.

Dóris Hipólito received support from the Catholic Church. One priest in the area offered a room to hold meetings for the mothers to receive catechesis classes, classes on sexuality, with an emphasis on the virtue of chastity, and the Billings method. They could also be sent to professional courses in the area.

Dóris Hipólito founded the pro-life house Casa de Amparo São Frei Galvão was founded, in Nilópolis to have room to shelter pregnant women who were victims of domestic violence.

As the work grew, she was persecuted by pro-abortion NGOs and groups that did clandestine abortions. As a result, the pro-life house was eventually not allowed.

Dóris then stopped her professional work to dedicate herself entirely to the work of defending the lives of babies threatened by abortion.

In 2012, she opened another house to serve mothers called Casa Pró-Vida do Imaculado Coração de Maria. The location was near three houses where abortions were performed in Nova Iguaçu. During this time, with the faith Dóris had in the Virgin Mary, one of the owners of the abortion houses had a conversion.

A young woman was pregnant and the father was the owner of the abortion house. Everything was prepared for the abortion. The pregnant woman decided to visit Casa Pró-Vida do Imaculado Coração de Maria. After a long conversation, she changed her mind but was afraid to return home and be forced to have an abortion. People in charge of the pro-life house invited her to live in the house for a couple of months. Next, as she was aware that she and her baby were safe, she returned home. The father of the baby finally accepted the baby. A few days before the birth, the pregnant woman returned to the pro-life house because it was closer to the maternity hospital. Finally, the baby was born. A week after delivery, the mother and Dóris Hipólito returned to her residence. A few weeks later, the baby’s father made a promise: he would no longer perform abortions and would always recommend all women who come to him to have an abortion to visit Casa Pró-Vida do Imaculado Coração de Maria. As a result, many innocent lives have been saved.

In 2015, the opportunity arose to acquire a house in Tinguá with an area of 1,300 m² to increase the reach and quality of pro-life work. With donations from friends, the house was bought. In Casa Pró-Vida São José talks were organized on pregnancy and motherhood, Bible studies, recitation of the Rosary, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Jericho Siege, activities of the 40 Days for Life Movement, and the Holy Mass.

In 2016, a woman died after having an abortion in the city of Baixada Fluminense, Belford Roxo. Dóris Hipólito founded Casa Pró-Vida Santa Dulce the same year.

In the 33 years of pro-life mission, more than 4,000 lives have been saved from the crime of abortion. A lot of the mothers who have been helped have become pro-life volunteers. They helped to spread the Gospel, prepare the newborns for Baptism, visit pregnant women in maternity hospitals, to distribute flyers in Churches, particularly for the Rosary recitation once a month in downtown Rio de Janeiro city.

Women also attend professional courses which include: cutting and sewing, overlock, collarette, industrial straight seam, manufacturing of rosaries, and makeup. They are encouraged to return to school and obtain professional training to enter the work market.

The vast majority of residents in Baixada Fluminense are very poor. About 90% of women consider abortion because of poverty. In addition, about 80% of them have been abandoned by their partners right after they have found they are pregnant. A great number of pregnant women are adolescents.

Thanks be to God, the pro-life mission offers food, prenatal exams, other medical exams, medicine, and food supplements. Baby garments, attention, and care, without any government support of any kind.

The Pro-Life mission stands thanks to the Divine Providence and the generosity of people of goodwill. After all, the very aim of all the work and prayer is Heaven for all.