Ipad Air, older software, won't open!! (Screen is white with apple logo)

Hi, I've been really depressed for 2 days now because my very precious iPad won't open.. The screen is white with the apple logo on the middle. I've already called apple twice and chat with them once. All they tell me is that I need to recover my iPad and that it's the ONLY way, even though I have REALLY important things on my iPad that can NEVER be replaced, so I just can't recover it.

Here are the things I've already tried:

• Put my iPad on recovery mode then press on update. (I did that about 3 times- it shows that it's updating and everything is fine but apple supporter said that it didn't work since I don't have enough memory..)
• Let my iPad shut off (because of battery loss) then charge it until it automatically opens. (I did that twice)
• Pat my iPad on the back softly then open it again (I saw someone doing that in a video and it worked.. Plus I read that in a thread)
• Shut the iPad off and on again (more than 10 times!)

I tried putting it in DFU mode but wasn't sure how and apple supporter told me it's the same as putting it in recovery mode..

I just simply can't restore my iPad.. I guess I'll just leave it like that until there's another way.. </3

*Note: I pretty much watched all youtube videos on how to get out of recovery mode without having data loss but none work.. and I haven't tried the ways which include downloading something (because some people said it doesn't work and it might have virus).

Thank you!!