COLUMBIA — Tessa Spencer knew her son, Julian Fite, was struggling with his mental health. He’d attempted suicide in the past, and she could see signs that it might happen again.
When she brought him to the hospital to get help, though, the 20-year-old did not consent to treatment, so doctors sent him home. The Charleston mother begged for help, but the answer remained the same: Unless Fite agreed, doctors could do nothing.
“I was offered prayers and a hug but not the authority to save my son,” Spencer told senators…