HELP. My iPhone has locked itself in lost mode with a passcode from a long time ago...

A few months ago, I lost my phone and put it in lost mode from a computer. A day later, I found it (noting that it was strange that the phone didn't seem to be in lost mode). Three weeks ago, somehow it finally connected to iCloud or something and went into lost mode. When I turned the mode off from a computer, the phone became locked with a passcode from over a year ago. My phone has been "passcode free" for over a year, so I have no idea what my passcode once was. To top it off, I'm a broke college student and have been too cheap to buy iCloud storage so all my stuff will be gone if I factory reset it.

My phone locked itself two days before my sister died from suicide over the holidays. I am not one to appeal to people's emotions for an intended outcome, but I am desperate. I am literally begging anybody for help. Is there anyway to fix this without erasing all my phone's content?

• Can I somehow bypass the passcode with some software in a non-destructive way?
• Can I take it to anyone to have it fixed?
• Can I buy iCloud storage from another device and some how back up my phone content and then factory reset it?

I know my Apple ID password, just not my phone's old/new passcode. I am very willing to pay a lot to get my phone's content saved if it needs to be factory reset.

Those who have read this and try to help, you have my sincerest appreciation and gratitude.