February 10, 2014. Charleston. ABC News 4. By Gregory Woods. A bill proposed by state lawmakers would set the limit in which a pregnant woman can have an abortion at 19 weeks.
State legislators who support the bill say after 19 weeks, a fetus can feel pain.
Pauletta and Thomas Kaczperski are about to be grandparents. They said their unborn grandchild is past the 19-week mark and at their daughter's last checkup, they said they felt life in her stomach.
"It's amazing how at 19, 20 weeks how developed that baby is," said Pauletta Kaczperski. "She talks about how the baby is moving inside of her."
Victoria Middleton is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. She believes the issue is not as easy as setting a date.
"We believe that this is a medical decision and a personal decision," she said. "They are difficult decisions and people don't make them lightly and we shouldn't play politics with them."
Officials at Planned Parenthood said abortions are rarely performed after 19 weeks.
"Only one percent of abortions are performed after that time," said Sloan Whelan, the public affairs director of Planned Parenthood. "These are wanted pregnancies that women have planned and did not plan for these tragic situations."
Whelan said those tragic situations do happen and they can occur past 19 weeks.
"A woman who has found out about a severe fetal anomaly where the fetus won't survive out of her body at say 22 weeks - she would not be able to have access to an abortion in the state of South Carolina," said Whelan.
In the meantime the Kaczperskis hold strong to their faith and their beliefs.
"God doesn't like that. Yes we are a Christian people. That's our belief and faith that says you can't do that," said Thomas Kaczperski.
State lawmakers postponed voting on the proposed bill Thursday but the discussion is expected to continue later this month.
