I wouldn’t write about this. It isn’t designed to give the essay reader a good feeling, which is what you want. It’s better, in my opinion, to write about what you do. So, as you wrote:
That’s interesting, and I’d want to read more about that–but I don’t necessarily want to read about an awful experience that prompted you to do those things. At most, you might say something along the lines of “inspired by my own experiences and observations, I…”