Couple discover eerie mask in their basement – before learning its heartbreaking story

Have you ever regretted taking a peek in the attic or basement of your home?

One couple certainly did after they uncovered something quite disturbing lurking at the bottom of their new property. In a post on Reddit, a woman shared how she stumbled upon a creepy-looking mask, posting a snap of the eerie find.

Sharing it in the Weird subreddit, she wrote, "We found a radiation mask in the basement of my boyfriend's new house," prompting other users to guess why it was there. "I presume that is where he grafts the skin of his victims," joked one person. Meanwhile another asked: "Are you sure that's not a fencing mask? Maybe an old one from the 70s."

The discussion then took a more sombre tone as the woman explained the mask's true history. "It belonged to the man who lived here before him," she said. "He had cancer and passed away."

A Redditor with knowledge about the devices added insight: "I'm a radiation therapist so I work with these on the daily. It's a head and neck Orfit for cancer treatment. You can even see that the therapists had to cut a circle out of the mask because the patient probably had a port and the the mask was pressing down on it."

Others then offered messages of condolence, with one writing: "Take a moment and reflect on the loss of life for a family, be thankful for the chance you have. Then remember all things come to pass to include all of us. To this representative of this mask RIP."

A second person agreed: "This just makes me sad. My grandma had radiation and I felt so awful when she explained the process to me, and about having to be pinned down using this mask. Seeing what it actually looks like makes me feel even worse. Hate that anyone has to go through this."

Meanwhile, a third recounted their personal ordeal: "I found it very scary the first time it's used. It REALLY pins you down! Realising I could breathe just fine helped me to endure it. The processes weren't all that bad. They offered me the mask when the treatments were finished, but I turned it down. I'd seen enough of that thing!"

Cancer Research UK provides insight into the creation of these masks, stating that either a mould technician or radiographer is responsible for making the mask in the radiotherapy department's mould room or during the patient's CT planning scans.

The charity elaborates on the procedure: "The process of making a mask can vary slightly between hospitals," the charity explains. "Most often they use a special kind of plastic heated in warm water or an oven so that it becomes soft and pliable."

"The technician puts the plastic mesh on to your face so that it moulds to fit your face exactly. It feels a little like having a warm flannel put onto your face. You can still breathe easily, as the plastic has lots of holes in it. After a few minutes the plastic mesh becomes hard. The technician takes the mask off. It is then ready for use."