‘RHOM’: Alexia Nepola Admitted She’ll ‘Never Recover’ From Her Son Frankie’s Accident
Alexia Nepola was a part of The Real Housewives of Miami‘s first season back in 2011. Following her son Frankie’s near-fatal car accident in August 2011, Nepola took on a reduced role on the show for season 2, returning as a full-time Housewife in season 3 before the show went off the air. Peacock brought back RHOM in 2021 with Alexia and some other familiar faces, and viewers have gotten an inside look at how she and the rest of her family continue to aid Frankie’s recovery.
Alexia Nepola’s son Frankie Rosello was in a near-fatal car accident in 2011
Frankie Rosello was just 13 years old when he was sitting in the passenger seat of a car being driven by a friend in August 2011. The car accident left Rosello with serious injuries requiring surgery and he was in a coma for three months. After recovering from his coma, Frankie still had a long road to recovery as he learned how to move and speak again.
Nepola looked back on the traumatic time for the whole family in a February 2023 Instagram post. “Having a doctor tell me ‘There is no hope for a recovery’ the only thing on my mind was how can I save him,” she said. “I devoted my life to getting him well. Six months in a hospital/rehabilitation center not leaving his sight.”
“I do believe now what the doctors would tell me that my LOVE saved him,” she added.
Alexia Nepola has continued to help Frankie in the years since his accident
Frankie’s accident was difficult for his whole family, and continues to present challenges to this day. His older brother Peter and Frankie’s father Pedro have worked to help Frankie recover, and Alexia admitted that she’s been marked for life by what happened.
“I will never recover from Frankie’s accident,” Nepola said. “It’s only my wish that he can continue to improve in time, and he can be as ‘normal and productive’ as his limitations allow. I will never accept the loss of my dreams for him, and I will never give up on him or Peter. Our pain is so deep.”
“What I learned over these past 11 years is that the accident was not just Frankie’s pain, but everyone’s and we still carry this pain in our everyday life. My entire family has lived with this pain, and it has altered the course of our lives,” she continued. “From close family to friends and strangers I have never known before, everyone feels for the situation and always tries to help [and] offer their sorrow.”
Nepola went on to address an incident from season 5 of The Real Housewives of Miami where Adriana de Moura likened a foot injury she sustained on a girls’ trip to the Bahamas to Frankie’s accident, claiming she thought Nepola would care more about accidents. Nepola called out what happened with de Moura in her post.
“I am doing this post today because a topic on our show addresses Frankie and I want the truth to be told from my voice. In doing so, you’ve all witnessed some of my most vulnerable — and while I’m in a much better place, a huge part of my heart continues to ache,” Nepola said. “Frankie’s accident changed my life. I’ve shared my journey with Frankie on RHOM for years as much as I can emotionally, in hopes of inspiring others going through similar situations to remain positive and optimistic. For anyone to use Frankie’s accident to compare or ‘connect’ their level of pain and suffering to what Frankie has endured is wrong ESPECIALLY when referring to a FAKE INJURY.”
“I have survived heartaches of all kinds,” she ended the post. “I hope to inspire all people to believe that remaining positive will eventually lead to a happy and healthy future.”
Season 5 of ‘The Real Housewives of Miami’ show Frankie gaining greater independence
Frankie, now 25 years old, often appears on The Real Housewives of Miami alongside his loving mother. On season 5 of the show, Nepola works to help her son achieve more independence as an adult.
To help her son and to shine light on a good cause, Nepola teamed up with the De Moya Foundation, a Miami-based organization dedicated to creating employment opportunities for young adults with unique abilities.
