Raquel then told the woman that she would have a girl, and could name her Raquel Jasmine, after the "fabulous lady you met on the elevator."
Two years later, Raquel met the woman again at the doctor's office. She was pushing a stroller with twin girls - named Raquel and Jasmine.
"It was such a small thing, this loving exchange, and the impact reaches in to eternity," Sr. Bethany Madonna said. "You may not see the impact of your love, but God sees it. The love in your hearts is totally unique to you...and your love saves lives."
Other speakers addressing the March included Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Pam Tebow, the mother of former pro-football player Tim Tebow, U.S. Representatives Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Chris Smith (R-NJ) and well as Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, Orthodox Church of America, and Bishop Vincent Matthews Jr., President of the International Missions Department of the Church of God in Christ.
Ryan encouraged the crowd - mostly made up of young people, he noted - that love is the reason the pro-life movement is on the rise in the United States.
"The pro-life movement is on the rise because we have love on our side," Ryan said. "We believe every person is worthy of love and dignity."
"That's one thing that gets lost [in the political debate about abortion] - just how compassionate the pro-life movement really is," he said. "I'm proud of what this movement has done for women who have gone through the pain of abortion, how it supports single mothers who are struggling to support their children...this is the face of the pro-life movement," Ryan added.
He also noted several pro-life bills that have been passed by the House in the past year, including the just-passed Born Alive Survivors Protection Act, which protects the lives of babies who survive failed abortions.
"Most importantly, we are striving to do all of this without judgement in our hearts, but with compassion and love for all of the victims [of abortion]," he said.
"Thank you for being here...this is one that we will win this day. Thank you. God bless you, tell everybody come back next year and bring three friends."
Mary Farrow worked as a staff writer for Catholic News Agency until 2020. She has a degree in journalism and English education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.