Description
Daria and Darek Banicki are just like any Polish family in some ways. They both work. They spend time with their kids. They shop, watch movies and do "normal" family things.
Derek is the head-master of a school in Gniezno, Poland, and part-time pastor of Gniezno Baptist Church, an off-shoot of the ministry of ITMI's Dr. Piotr Zaremba. He also uses his background in History to consult for Piotr and the Polish Bible Translation team.
However, Daria and Darek face challenges above that of the ordinary family attempting to make ends meet.
Their daughter, Eliza, suffers a degenerative disease called Niemann-Pick Disease (Type C) which causes a slow, painful deterioration of nervous system functions. Most children with this type of disease perish between the ages 5 and 15.
Their eldest son, Michael was 14, when this disease took his life. Michael went home to be with the Lord in November of 2008.
Daria and Darek Banicki
Eliza is always smiling and singing. She is full of life, and enjoys being part of the church in Gniezno.
The Need
Time is of the essence for Eliza. Once the damage is done to the nervous system, it cannot be repaired.
The Banicki's biggest challenge is to provide access to the needed medication before it is too late, which must be done entirely from their own pockets (and by those who generously help with costs.)
The cost of just 21 days worth of the medication is $11,000USD, which totals about $190000USD per year. On top of that, Eliza needs ongoing physiotherapy and full time care.
Amazingly, God is continuing to provide for Eliza's needs through the sacrificial giving of His people. As the video below shares, Eliza has been able to continue taking this medication since 2009!
Latest News
Dear Team: Will You Hold the Rope? (because Piotr is greedy)

Piotr has a passion to reach all the approximately 60 million Polish speaking people in the world. The first step was to get them an accurate, readable and usable form of God’s word.
As happy as he is with the success and acceptance of his new translation, Piotr says, “…but I am greedy. I want more.” Anyone that knows Piotr knows how unlike him it is for the word “greedy” to come out of his gentle, soft-spoken mouth.
How Eliza is Doing and Why it’s So Miraculous

As you probably know, Eliza is being treated with an extremely expensive drug called Zavesca. At present, it’s the only drug in the world suitable for the treatment of Niemann-Pick disease type C.
We Lost but Remain Undefeated
By ITMI Staff

We were sure we won the battle for her medication to be re-funded by the Polish Socialized Medical Care. A positive decision on the part of the Polish Medical Authorities was made last spring. The re-fund plan was to be introduced last June, then August, then October, then November. Now…
A Story of God’s Provision (Video)
By ITMI Staff
Don’t miss this story of God’s ongoing provision for a precious girl in our Polish community of believers.
Amazing GOOD NEWS for Elisa Banicki and her family – Updates April 2011
By ITMI Staff

ITMI’s Polish Director, Piotr Zaremba writes: Sunday, April 24, 2011 Beloved, This is today that we commemorate our Lord’s victory over the sin and death! Our Lord won! He is risen! Risen indeed! Let me connect His resurrection with our Elisa Banicki, our sweet-heart with Niemann-Pick syndrome. Ready for the news? Polish National Ministry for […]
Special Reports – 1st Quarter 2009
By ITMI Staff

THE LITTLE BEDRIDDEN MISSIONARY – MICHAEL BANICKI One by one, warily stepping out into the biting November cold, the string of people unfurls from the small chapel and down the steep hill toward the labyrinth of headstones. A narrow beaten path circles the chapel; then its skinny branches jet into the maze of graves, […]