Cheryl Ramage is proud to have two sons in the Canadian Armed Forces. Both were training at CFB Wainwright when a fire ripped through the base earlier this month.
The mother of four was attending dinner theatre when friends sent a text message asking: “Are your boys OK?”
“I had no idea what was happening,” she recalled.
Cheryl immediately texted her sons. She heard back from her son Rowan, who was safe. But her eldest, Liam, did not respond.
She checked in with Liam’s wife, Marisa Ramage, who also hadn’t been able to connect with him.
The women met at Liam and Marisa’s home at the Edmonton Garrison.
They scoured the internet for information, and at 3 a.m., they read that the military was keeping communications to a minimum while they notified next of kin.
It took time for them to learn the full extent of the fast-moving fire on Oct. 17 that killed four soldiers and left 39 others injured during a training exercise at the base located southeast of Edmonton.
“Then the doorbell rang,” Cheryl said, dabbing her eyes with tissue. “That was the hardest moment of my life. They walked in and said they had devastating news.”
Marisa assumed the worst. She said she couldn’t stop shaking, like she was in shock.
“I thought Liam was … I thought he was dead,” she said.
Marisa said the military officers started to explain, but she couldn’t bear waiting.
“I did not let them finish their conversation. I went, ‘He’s not dead, right?’ And they were like, ‘No, he is not dead. But he’s got some major, major injuries.’”
With that, the women rushed to Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital. They weren’t prepared for what they saw.
“We had to identify him by his feet,” Liam’s mother explained.
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“Seeing him in a bed with burns on him, I couldn’t be in the room,” his wife said.
Doctors told them 40 per cent of Pte. Ramage’s body had been burned.
“Mostly to his face, head, neck, his hands are bad, both the tops and his palms, both arms, both legs and some on his back as well,” Cheryl explained.
In a moment alone with her husband of three years, Marisa whispered in his ear.
“You are too stubborn to die and there is no way that you’re not making it through this.”
Pte. Liam Ramage in uniform.
Courtesy: Family
Since that night, the 27-year-old from Red Deer County has undergone multiple surgeries and skin grafts, but the full extent of his injuries is still unknown.
“He can’t see when he wakes up, he can’t speak and he can’t move very much, so he has really no way of communicating,” his mother explained.
Cheryl said her son’s life has already been saved by blood donors, and she encourages people wanting to help to roll up their sleeves and donate.
She says she was told despite his own severe injuries, Pte. Ramage was still trying to save his fellow soldiers when first responders arrived.
That doesn’t surprise his wife, who says he loves to help people.
Marisa doesn’t know what the couple’s future holds, but she’s grateful for every small step her husband is making.
“It’s nice to see him improve. He can move his arms on his right side and his foot on his right side. He can nod yes or no and he can move his mouth.”
His mom says when Pte. Ramage enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces in 2024, it had been a long time coming.
“He’s always been passionate about the military. That’s really all he’s ever wanted to do,” Cheryl explained.
She said he got his first taste of the military in cadets, where he advanced to the top as a Regimental Sergeant Major.
Since enlisting in 2024, Pte. Ramage has served in Latvia and at the G7 in Kananaskis, Alta.
His mom never thought her son would be in danger on home soil, calling the fire “a freak accident.”
The disaster remains under investigation.
The family is putting together photo albums to bring to Pte. Ramage’s hospital room.
“His smile lit up the room. He’s infectious. He’s a storyteller. He talks nonstop. And that’s what all of his buddies say too. Liam just never stopped talking.”
When he’s not working, Pte. Ramage loves playing bagpipes, cooking and Canada’s game.
“His passion is hockey. Hockey, hockey, more hockey. A diehard Montreal Canadiens fan,” his mom laughed.
The family brought a radio to the hospital this week, so as Pte. Ramage heals, they can listen to games together.
“We’ve created a GoFundMe for Liam. It’s going to be a long road, months if not years of rehabilitation, surgeries,” Cheryl explained.
They’re grateful for the support of the military, including their designated assistant, and plan to continue to stay with Pte. Ramage every day in the hospital.
“He’s got an amazing support system,” Marisa said.
“His military friends have been also phenomenal. They’ve told us stories and they’ve been visiting him, which I think is really good for his mental state.”
Pte. Liam Ramage and his wife Marisa.
Courtesy: Family
