The husband and father of two girls bravely shared that he had to undergo surgery to remove a 7cm by 7cm tumour on his kidney that had spread to the inferior vena cava (IVC), and then again to his lungs.

“When I first got hit with the news, I was very scared. Especially because my father, when he was my age, passed away of cancer so I was thinking here’s history repeating itself,” he said.

“I lost 4.3L of blood – a five hour surgery ended up being an eight hour surgery.

“That really changed everything for me and the way I look at life.”

His fear of leaving his family behind, motivated him to “do anything and everything” to beat it.

From quitting alcohol, to eating a plant-based diet and water fasting – the father tried almost all of it and was also undergoing immunotherapy.

“I felt like I had not long to go, I could feel it, I felt really bad,” he said.

“I wasn’t a believer, I was the opposite. It was really bad one night, I was coughing up blood and went to the hospital, one of the tumours in my lungs was eating into my wind pipe and making me cough blood.

“For the first time ever I called a mate and said, ‘can you send me a bible. Long story short, I started praying and received a miracle.”

After he was given 14 months to live, “everything disappeared”.

“I was healed, I was feeling better and I wanted to do what I really love and the three things I love, is my family, food and creating,” he said.

Now – the man is better known as ‘Food with Dread’ and boasts more than 10,000 subscribers on YouTube for reviewing restaurants and cafes.

He walked into Em Ca Phe on Gregory Street and was greeted by excited employees who knew his exact order.

Mr Martinez has reviewed dozens of Townsville’s food hot spots including the massive Twin City Hotel buffet that opened recently and took part in Australia’s hottest burger challenge at Burger Urge, Cannon Park which has more than 14,000 views.

“If I go somewhere and the food is bad, I won’t put it up there,” he said.

“I don’t like to do that, I’m about positivity because everyone can have a bad day. We can come here you know, and maybe they’re having a bad day and something is happening and we receive bad service and you come another day and it’s sensational.

“I want to help promote the businesses. I love doing the small, family-owned businesses and I want to help them out not bring them down.”

While his YouTube channel has rapidly increased in the last few months, the foodie works partly as an Uber Driver to balance it out and says he often now gets recognised and asked one question in particular.

“I get asked ‘what’s your favourite restaurant?’ and I don’t have a favourite restaurant, I love all foods,” he said.

“But what I tell them is if you ask ‘where’s your favourite pizza or pasta’ I can tell them where that is.”

Most recently the creator has ventured outside of the region and visited Japan as a Mother’s Day surprise for his wife and has his eyes set on Bali next for more reviews.

“I need to take it to the next level and go overseas,” he said.

“I want to grow it. I will keep promoting Townsville where I can. Townsville has grown a lot, new places are opening up left right and centre, I’m loving it and love where it’s heading.”

Visit the @FOODWITHDREAD YouTube channel here.