@mimimimi You should check the instructions for each school, but I've never encountered a personal statement in the wild that needed to be 1300+ words. In my experience, 650–850 words tends to hit the sweet spot. See if you can focus your story.
The event story definitely sounds better. Specifics make for much better narratives than broads. If you want to message me, I'd be happy to let you know what I think, for whatever it's worth.
Congrats on your success story! This is so inspiring to me! I've had my own ups and downs and am trying to create my own success story this year.
Keep up the good work! You should be really proud of yourself!