Helen Beneker first met her adoptive mother six years ago. Helen, and her younger brother, lived in Colombia. Lisa Beneker and her husband lived in Wisconsin. Helen, 18, is a senior in high school. She sat down with her mom for a StoryCorps interview. Neither was afraid to ask or answer important questions.

Bill Healy produces StoryCorps Chicago for WBEZ and teaches journalism at Northwestern University. Follow him @chicagoan.