Christopher Sullivan is a survivor. The Army specialist survived a suicide bombing in Afghanistan.
Then two days before Christmas 2011, he was shot at his homecoming party while trying to break up a fight.
"Someone comes grabbing me, saying 'Someone has a gun to your brother,' and I go over there and everything, and grab him and the gun," said Sullivan.
The Purple Heart recipient was left paralyzed from the neck down. Ruben Jurado is scheduled to stand trial for the shooting in November.
But according to Suzanne Sullivan, Christopher's mother, the San Bernardino County district attorney has been reluctant to put her son on the witness stand to testify.
"He has a right to say what he wants to say and I don't feel like they have that right to take that away from him," said Suzanne Sullivan.
At issue is the 24-year-old's medical condition and ability to travel. Christopher Sullivan moved to San Antonio, Texas, following the shooting so he could receive treatment at a military hospital there.
To get Sullivan from his Texas hospital bed to the San Bernardino courthouse, the family wants the county to pay $37,000 to get him safely there.
"We found a company that would be willing to, that they do do that, they have two nurses that will accompany Chris and he will get there safely," said Suzanne.
She says if that's not a possibility then she wants the D.A. to allow her son to testify via video.
The district attorney's office issued a statement Wednesday: "We are making every effort to make sure this victim has his day in court."
If and when that day comes, Christopher Sullivan is ready.
"I want to be there, I want to at least look him in the eyes and let him see what he did to me," said Sullivan.
