Does this count as extenuating circumstances? Please help!

username2015015

I'll be applying for university entry in 2017 and I'm hoping for Cambridge (like everyone on this place I guess!). I got 10A*s at GCSE and I was predicted 4 high-ish As at AS, and have been reassured that my A Level predictions will be high enough to get a Cambridge interview.

However, over Easter, a month or so before AS, my mum suffered a very serious illness and was subsequently disabled. I gave up almost the entirety of my Easter holiday (the time most year 12s dedicate to making notes) to visiting her in hospital. At the same time, my dad was working away and so I also had to look after myself fully whilst my parents were away. To make things worse, my grandfather died during this period and therefore I was also supporting my father as he grieved, and I lost days at due to travelling to the funeral. I didn't revise much at all for AS.

I'm wondering how extenuating circumstances work in terms of uni application. I've heard that ECs only work if the issues occurred during the study period? If so, my mum was/is still disabled and I was still pretty much caring for myself and her, but I don't know if it'll still count? It sounds silly, but will I have to "prove" these issues? (We will obviously have confirmation of the medical records, but I don't have any way of proving I was a young carer as I never qualified for funding due to full time education etc). Would the uni take all this into account, or will it be pointless as it only affected revision, and not the actual exams?

Sorry for the length of this, it would be really really good to have an answer to this :smile: