Top Law Schools

So my overall GPA is a 3.4 lsac GPA 3.48 However, my first semester of my freshman year i had a 2.4
That semester I lost my mentor/family friend to a sudden stroke. Broke my hand playing softball 2nd week of school, and then my close friends dad went into a coma which resulted in me returning home (4 hour train ride) almost every weekend from the week before thanksgiving on.
I am not sure like how to say all of this without sounding like I am making excuses. Since then I have had an upward trend in my GPA, and really adjusted, and dealt with my grief positively. However, I am having an extremely hard time writing this for some reason. How much do I explain? do I go into my relationship with my mentor and how his death affected me? etc.... or do I just kinda state the facts? PLEASE help


ps do all schools allow you to send an addendum

This post sounds like the kernel of a powerful personal statement.

I already wrote my personal statement on juvenile justice my personal experiences with my best friend being exonerated at 16, and my desire to work in the family court system as a result, including my experiences working for a crisis hot line and mediating for the family court system in college....
i just need to figure out how to write this addendum without sounding like i am making excuses or what information to include