In my almost 73 years on this planet, I’ve been in a war, been held as a political prisoner, and been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome — a bone marrow disorder that can turn into acute myeloid leukemia.

Each experience brought its own type of pain. During the war, it was caused by lack of sleep, the fear of being injured, and the trauma of seeing my fellow soldiers die. In prison, it was the loneliness of being in a cell...